Protect Yourself First

From the Parliament:

Three Belgian Liberal MPs have called for "significantly" increased security around the European quarter in Brussels.

They say feelings of "insecurity" in the area have reached such a scale that higher-profile policing is "vitally" necessary.

One of the parliamentarians, Denis Ducarme, said many people who live and work in the area, roughly stretching from Place Luxembourg to Schuman, had complained about a lack of police presence and a "feeling of insecurity".

He said many of the problems reported to police related to relatively minor incidents, such as pick pocketing and car crime but there had also been cases of muggings and threats of violence.

He said that if Belgium wants to keep the EU institutions, including parliament, and other related bodies in the city "it must provide adequate security".

Dutch MEP Wim van de Camp has criticised security arrangements at parliament, saying more staff are needed to deal with the increasing number of visitors.

Lack of police presence? Petty Crime? Of course they're different they need protecting, us mortals just have to suffer. How things never change!