Thousands flood Brussels streets as anti-austerity protests erupt into clashes with police

Thousands of demonstrators poured into the streets of Brussels on Friday, at times clashing with police officers, to protest the Belgian government's budget-tightening measures and the overall rise in the cost of living.

Dozens of protesters, most of them young and dressed in black with masks over their faces, were seen throwing rocks and firecrackers at police at the central Brussels railway station, The Associated Press reported.

They also set several fires, with photos showing a man lighting an electric scooter ablaze.

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Riot police responded by deploying tear gas canisters and shooting water cannons, tactics that dispersed the crowds. The chaos in the streets contributed to increased traffic across the Belgian capital.

Police said the unrest was caused by people unaffiliated with the anti-austerity demonstration, which drew an estimated 30,000 participants, the AP reported.

Two of Belgium’s largest labor unions organized Friday’s daylong national strike, with a separate public-sector walkout planned for Monday. Union leaders also distanced themselves from the unrest, saying those responsible were not affiliated with their movement.

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Union members and their supporters were dressed in red or green as they marched peacefully throughout the city.

Marie Gobert, a single mother and social worker, came to Brussels from Namur for the march, telling the AP she "cannot make ends meet."

The rising cost of schools, public transport and train tickets is what preoccupies her the most.

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"You can feel the social tension, you can feel anger starting to simmer everywhere," Gobert said. "The education system is being dismantled, and when young people want to speak out, no one listens to them."

This summer, Belgium’s French Community government raised standard university tuition by roughly 43% this academic year, from €835 to €1,194, as part of a broader austerity program.

In June, there were clashes between protesters and police in Brussels over dissatisfaction with the tuition hike and other issues with the French-language education system, including overcrowded classrooms and difficulty accessing study materials.

This week, hundreds of students took to the streets of the eastern Belgian city of Liège. Local media reported that 107 students were arrested.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.