Article content

BRUSSELS — Belgian right-wingers have offered a bounty of €250 ($325) to anyone who reports a veiled woman to police, they said Tuesday after last week’s riots in Brussels over the arrest of a woman wearing a niqab.

Filip Dewinter, a senior figure in Vlaams Belang, a right-wing party, said the violence had made police apprehensive about enforcing the burka ban and the payment should put pressure on authorities to further enforce it.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Right-wingers offer $325 burka bounty to anyone who reports veiled women to Belgian police Back to video

“It’s a textile prison for the women who have to live under it,” he said.

Last week, protesters hurled bins and metal barriers at a police station after Stéphanie Djato, 24, was arrested for refusing to remove her face veil.

“They tried to enter by force, but they were not able to,” a spokesman for Brussels police told broadcaster RTL.

“So instead they threw metal barriers and bins.”

Ms. Djato, who was waiting at a streetcar stop, scuffled with officers after she refused to show them any ID. During the mêlée, a policewoman was injured.