The fight was believed to have been sparked by an argument over narcotics. The guards first brought the wounded to safety. They were not in danger. Meanwhile, the rest of the prisoners, regarding 85 people, were allowed to stay outside in the walking courtyard. The prison management did not want to take any risks and called for reinforcements from the local police.
The reinforcement of regarding forty police officers attracted a lot of attention because they gathered on the Mechelseplein. Together with a dozen officers from the arrest teams, they entered the prison. Their assignment was to allow the prisoners to return to their cells without commotion. Each prisoner was first searched for prohibited weapons and narcotics before being allowed back in the cell.
The operation went smoothly and calm was returned around 5:30 p.m. The Prison Service also emphasizes that this was an internal dispute and that no violence was used once morest staff.
