Belgian police fire tear gas at protesters

On Saturday, Belgian police utilized tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters participating in cost-of-living demonstrations in Brussels and Liege. Similar unrest had occurred in neighboring France. High school students initiated protests against increased university fees over recent weeks, but Interior Minister Bernard Quintin attributed the turmoil to organized violence.

In Brussels, police deployed tear gas during confrontations with youths in the Bourse district who hurled bottles and other objects. An AFP correspondent reported that approximately ten arrests were made. In response to online calls, several hundred individuals congregated near Brussels' central railway station. A demo was later sanctioned by authorities, but water cannons were utilized to disperse groups that hurled fireworks and flammable liquids.

Rubbish bins and electric scooters were set ablaze, and a Socialist Party office was vandalized during the unrest. Police also employed water cannons to break up smaller protest groups in Liege, where clashes had taken place 10 days prior.