These were the scenes in Brussels on Wednesday night (January 13) in the area of Schaerbeek when police opened fire with paintball guns and used heavy-handed tactics with demonstrators.

Footage shows the showdown between a group of demonstrators trying to get down a road as they met a unit of police officers.

As the demonstrators try to get past the police formation officers were seen using the gas-powered paintball guns, firing shots at numerous people.

They then go on the offensive and seek out protesters in the road, some with their hands in the air are targeted.

Eventually, one demonstrator is caught and dragged to the ground by multiple police officers.

The filmer said: "A man in a black top gets caught and tackled on the ground, the policeman tries to return his arm, a big 'plok' is heard followed by screams.

"An ambulance will pick up the man later whose arm has been dislocated or broken."

The protests in the Belgian capital this week was prompted by the death of Ibrahima Barrie in police custody.

Local reports claimed Barrie was arrested after police were carrying out COVID-19 checks on a group of people outside the Brussels-North station on Saturday (Janaury 9).

He later died in custody of heart failure, with an autopsy revealing he had no drugs in his system.

- 0'30 the police arrive and shoot at the crowd with a paintball-gas burst on a group of demonstrators.
- 0'44 shoots paintball-gas burst on a protester.
- 1'14 we see a young man with my hands up coming home from shopping with a grey top and a plastic bag in his hand. He’ll be bludgeoned and lose his cell phone on the ground.
- 1m45 a man in black top gets caught and tackled on the ground, the policeman tries to return his arm, a big "plok" (2,16) is heard followed by screams. An ambulance will pick up the man later whose arm has been dislocated or broken.