Belgian students rally over education costs in protests echoing France

In the eastern Belgian city of Liège, a group of students has taken to the streets, motivated by the student unrest in neighboring France. According to local media, this protest has resulted in 107 arrests over recent days. Authorities have advised business owners to shut their establishments early due to fears of riots. Belgium's official government alert system, BE-Alert, warned of "major unrest" and instructed people to avoid the city center on Thursday.

The Liège train station initially closed but subsequently reopened, according to local reports. Police urged citizens to steer clear of the city center, as traffic had become severely disrupted.

The students are protesting against the Belgian French-language education system, citing soaring education costs, crowded classrooms and challenges in accessing study materials. They demonstrated with signs bearing slogans such as "It's a mess, we are fighting for a right! Not a privilege!" and "I chose education, not the hunger games!!"

These demonstrations follow a series of clashes in June between protesters and law enforcement in Brussels over education reforms, including a tuition increase for most students in Belgium's French-speaking Community. This hike raised the fee from €835 ($950) to €1,194 ($1,280) per year. Videos circulating on social media in recent days depicted shattered glass, fires, and hundreds of mostly youthful protesters in Liège, while additional footage showed police obstructing roads. During Wednesday's protest, officers were observed checking students for weapons.