Belgium – Student protests escalate in several cities

BRUSSELS, October 5 /ATSH-AFP/ – Protests by secondary school students in Belgium escalated today in several cities, causing clashes with police, damage to property and dozens of arrests.

“In Liège, 18 police officers sustained minor injuries”, according to local police.

This was the third day of protests, held by secondary education students in the French-speaking part of Belgium against austerity measures announced by the authorities.

The movement also spread today to other major cities, including Mons and Charleroi, in the south of the country.

In these cities there were arrests for breaches of public order.

In Liège, police estimated that around 1,000 protesters had gathered in small and very mobile groups.

They moved from one educational institution to another, holding protests that police described as disorganised.

The situation escalated during the afternoon, when some protesters attacked bus stations and set fires in the streets, mainly by setting fire to rubbish bins.

The protesters threw objects, stones and barriers towards the police.

Order forces responded with tear gas and water cannon, according to Liège police.

In a square in the city centre, where the main damage was recorded, several shops and major retail brands decided to temporarily close their activity for safety reasons.

Meanwhile, during a protest in Hannut, a small town west of Liège, a pyrotechnic device ended up in the yard of a primary school.

Around 15 children were affected by the sparks and had to receive help from ambulance teams, according to the Belgian news agency Belga.

The protests reflect the growing discontent of young people with austerity policies and economic measures in French-speaking Belgium, but the escalation of violence and damage has created new concerns for public safety.