Protesters clash with police in Brussels as anti-government demonstrations spread across Europe
Belgian student groups have said they are protesting against rising education costs. The protests are partly inspired by demonstrations in neighboring France.
Demonstrators clashed with police in Brussels on Saturday, as anti-government protests spread across Europe. Hundreds of young people took to the streets in the Belgian capital, with rioters engaging in confrontations with authorities. Belgian student groups were protesting rising education costs and reforms that they feared would limit access to higher education.
Demonstrators donned masks and chanted anti-fascist slogans during the unrest. Police responded forcefully, employing tear gas and water cannons. Some protesters overturned a vehicle, according to a Reuters witness.
Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin expressed concern, stating on X/Twitter that the situation in Brussels had escalated beyond mere protest. He emphasized that all necessary means would be employed to restore order amid the violence. "What is unfolding in Brussels is not mere contestation; it is pure and organized violence aimed at destabilizing our society," Quintin warned. The federal police stood in solidarity with local law enforcement.
The unrest in Brussels mirrored protests that had erupted in Liège, an eastern city. Students had previously gathered there to voice their discontent over the French-language education system. Their protests were fueled by rising education costs and difficulties accessing study materials. The unrest in Brussels and Liège was part of a larger wave of demonstrations inspired by similar unrest in neighboring France.
France's education-related protests started last month, initially focused on education funding and school conditions. However, the movement soon broadened to encompass broader issues such as inequality, public spending, and living standards. French authorities reported 140 protests involving 32,800 people outside Paris by midday on Saturday.
They attributed the unrest to what they described as the "ultra-left." Violent incidents occurred in several cities, including Marseille, where vandalism and attacks on police, media, and public buildings were reported by the Interior Ministry.
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