When authorities in Brussels called for a social media blackout amid a search for terror suspects, people responded in the most playful way possible — by posting images of cats.
The hashtag #BrusselsLockdown quickly shifted from serious to humorous, showing cats in all sorts of poses and situations. Cats were seen drinking beer, holding guns and enjoying a day at the spa.
Some tweets showed cats ignoring police warnings and sitting near windows.
BRUSSELS UNDER SERIOUS TERRORISM THREAT AFTER PARIS ATTACKS
Officials were thankful with the cat-themed tweets. Federal prosecutor Eric Van Der Syp said police wanted to thank “social media users because they took the need of this operation into account.”
Police joined the party on Monday, posting a picture of a dish overflowing with dry cat food “For the cats that came to our aid last evening. Serve yourself! #BrusselsLockdown”
Brussels remains on lockdown and under its highest terror alert with the search for Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdelslam ongoing.
Authorities, speaking at a press conference early today, said 16 people were detained in the operation in Brussels.
WITH NEWS WIRE SERVICES
