Brussels protests clash with police over austerity and tuition hikes

Thousands of demonstrators marched through Brussels on Friday, clashing with police officers while protesting the Belgian government's budget-tightening measures and the rising cost of living. The Associated Press reported that dozens of protesters, mostly young individuals dressed in black with masks, threw rocks and firecrackers at police near the central Brussels railway station. Several fires were set during the incident, including one where a man was seen lighting an electric scooter ablaze.

Riot police responded to the unrest by deploying tear gas canisters and water cannons, tactics that dispersed the crowds. The disturbances contributed to increased traffic across the Belgian capital. Police stated that the violence was caused by individuals unaffiliated with the main anti-austerity demonstration, which drew an estimated 30,000 participants according to the AP. Two of Belgium's largest labor unions organized the daylong national strike on Friday, with a separate public-sector walkout planned for Monday. Union leaders distanced themselves from the clashes, asserting that those responsible for the unrest were not part of their movement.

Union members and supporters, dressed in red or green, marched peacefully throughout the city. Marie Gobert, a single mother and social worker who traveled from Namur to Brussels for the march, told the AP that she "cannot make ends meet." She cited the rising costs of schools, public transport, and train tickets as her primary concerns. Gobert noted that social tension is palpable and that anger is simmering across the region. She described the education system as being dismantled and stated that young people who speak out are not being heard.

The financial pressure stems partly from a recent increase in higher education costs. This summer, Belgium's French Community government raised standard university tuition by roughly 43% for the current academic year, moving from €835 to €1,194. This hike was part of a broader austerity program. In June, similar clashes between protesters and police occurred in Brussels over dissatisfaction with the tuition increase and other issues within the French-language education system, including overcrowded classrooms and difficulty accessing study materials.

Student activism has continued in other parts of the country as well. This week, hundreds of students took to the streets in Liège, an eastern Belgian city. Local media reported that 107 students were arrested during these demonstrations. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.