Police and protesters clash in Brussels as anti-austerity rally disrupts city
Police detained 21 people as masked youths set fires and threw projectiles, while unions said the main march remained peaceful.
- On Friday, approximately 30,000 people joined a national strike in Brussels organized by Belgian trade unions opposing government budget cuts aimed at saving €10 billion.
- Led by Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, the government seeks the cuts to reduce the country's high public deficit, while unions demand tax increases on the highest earners instead of service cuts.
- Masked youths clashed with police near Brussels Central Station, throwing rocks and fireworks while setting fires to public property, prompting officers to deploy water cannons and tear gas.
- Police detained 21 individuals, including 13 minors, following the disturbances, as union head Bert Engelaar publicly distanced organized labor, stating rioters had "nothing to do with the message" of the rally.
- These disturbances follow a week of violent protests in Liège resulting in more than 200 arrests, reflecting a broader wave of European unrest over education funding and living costs.
234 Articles
234 Articles
Police clash with protesters in Brussels as thousands march against spending cuts
Clashes broke out between police and protesters in Brussels on Friday, 9 October, as thousands marched against the Belgian government's planned spending cuts. Police estimated that 30,000 people took part in the demonstration, organised by trade unions amid growing opposition to austerity measures.
On Friday, two trade union groups took to the streets in the Belgian capital, leading to chaotic clashes with the police.
Inspired by the recent wave of demonstrations in France, hundreds of students and teachers joined the national protest on Friday, October 9, in Brussels, in reaction to the budget cuts planned by the federal government and against the educational policies of the French-speaking part of the country. Although the march took place peacefully, riots took place between the police and hundreds of young people near the central station in Brussels.
Protesters Clash With Police As Unions And Students March In Brussels
Thousands of protesters flooded Brussels on Friday to oppose government budget cuts. But what began as a nationwide strike turned violent in parts of the Belgian capital. Union members and hundreds of students joined the march, which disrupted public transport, air travel, schools and childcare services. While the main demonstration of around 30,000 people remained… Continue reading Protesters Clash With Police As Unions And Students March In Br…
Student riots spread across EU as hundreds clash with Belgian police in Brussels
Protests have erupted in Brussels this afternoon after student demonstrators clashed with police over planned budget cuts.Violent confrontations erupted as roughly 30,000 masked youths descended on the Belgian capital as part of a major anti-austerity demonstration.The national strike was organised by Belgium's two biggest trade unions in opposition to Prime Minister Bart De Wever's attempt to find €10billion in savings over the coming years to …
Around 30,000 people took part in a nationwide strike in Brussels against the Belgian government's economic policies, police said. Separate demonstrations were held in the Belgian capital against rising living costs and planned budget cuts. During the workers' march in the city centre, clashes broke out between youths and riot police. Police used water cannons and tear gas. Dozens of young people wearing masks and black clothes threw stones and …
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