Belgian beach brawl fuels virus, political, climate tension

BRUSSELS — It started as a Saturday trip to Belgium’s coast, a chance to escape a heat wave and coronavirus restrictions for a while. As the tide came in, the beach got crowded. Someone complained about the music being too loud. The mood quickly turned ugly.
Within minutes, dozens of people were battling it out on the sands. Some beach-goers threw bottles and umbrellas at police officers who intervened.
By Sunday, a “gang of outsiders” was being blamed, and two coastal co