Belgian police arrest 107 people during student protests

Police in the Belgian city of Liège have arrested 107 people during student protests since the beginning of October, local authorities said on Wednesday.

The arrests included 80 administrative arrests and 27 judicial arrests, the country’s police said.

On Tuesday alone, police detained 53 people, including 46 administratively and seven judicially, after young people gathered in the streets around the University of Liège. Some protesters damaged property and set fires, according to police.

Students and pupils across Belgium’s French-speaking education system have staged protests for several days in a row against the rising cost of higher education and public transport tickets, as well as a shortage of places in some classes, overcrowded timetables and difficulties securing course materials.

On Wednesday, students gathered peacefully outside the Athénée Léonie de Waha school in Liège, according to local media. The protests are expected to continue throughout the day.

The movement in Belgium came as French high-school pupils have blocked entrances and staged protests outside their schools for several days, demanding better learning conditions.