Belgian police have arrested a man who had a chainsaw and gun in his car near the European Parliament, prompting the evacuation of several buildings, prosecutors say.
The 32-year-old Slovakian, dressed in military fatigues, said he wanted to meet European Parliament President Martin Schulz, Belgian media reported on Monday.
Police later lifted the bomb alert after finding there were no explosives in the man's car, prosecutors told the Belga news agency.
"At no time did he seem aggressive," the prosecutor's office said. "His remarks were deemed unclear, a security perimeter was set up as a precaution. Several buildings were evacuated and traffic was diverted."
The man later appeared before a magistrate accused of threatening an attack, possessing a prohibited weapon and having a firearm requiring a permit.
Belgian authorities have deployed troops and extra police around key buildings in Brussels and other cities after an Islamist plot aimed at killing police was foiled last month.
Europe in general has been on high alert following the Charlie Hebdo and Jewish supermarket attacks in Paris which killed 17 people in January.
AFP
source: newshub archive
