Police clashed with protesters in Brussels on Monday during a national strike, as violence flared in the Belgian capital.
The widespread national public sector strike disrupted public services across Belgium.
Footage shows officers chasing and restraining protesters, with police deploying tear gas to disperse crowds. Some demonstrators hurl objects and launch fireworks at officers.
“I’m fed up with the government taking money from education and culture. Right now, we have tuition fees at €1,200, it’s just unacceptable,” a protester said.
“We have to work on the side, it’s impossible, we don’t have time to study, the classrooms are in terrible condition,” she added.
Under changes introduced for the 2026-27 academic year, the maximum standard tuition fee in Belgium’s French-speaking community has risen from €835 to €1,194, fuelling anger over the cost of studying.
“I want a society that is decent for all of us and people not to screw us over right from the start,” another protester said.
The unrest follows major anti-austerity demonstrations in Brussels on Friday, when tens of thousands marched against the government’s economic policies. Clashes also broke out between police and groups of young people.
Monday’s violence followed a week of unrest in the Belgian city of Liege, where student protests over education reforms descended into confrontations with police, street fires and damage to shops.
Source: Viory
