Politics · Other · 2 hrs ago
Police use tear gas and water cannon at protests in Brussels and Liège
On October 17, hundreds of people protested in Brussels and Liège over living costs and education expenses.
Many of the protesters were young people, and student groups oppose rising education costs and reforms they fear could make higher education harder to access.
The protests came after weeks of student demonstrations and amid unrest in neighbouring France.
In Brussels, police used tear gas and water cannon after some demonstrators threw objects and set fires.
Police said they made about 10 arrests, while a Socialist Party office was vandalized.
Interior Minister Bernard Quintin described the unrest as organized violence and said authorities would use necessary means to restore order.
Protests also took place in Liège, where students had demonstrated earlier in October over education costs and access to study materials.
Several hundred mostly young people protested in Brussels on October 17 over education costs, and some clashed with police.
Police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse demonstrators in Brussels, while police also used water cannon during unrest in Liège.
Student groups said they opposed rising education costs and reforms they feared would make higher education less accessible.
Police said about 10 arrests were made.
Garbage bins and e-scooters were set on fire, a Socialist Party office was vandalized, and a car was overturned.
- Who
- Several hundred mostly young people, including students, protested; police confronted some demonstrators.
- What
- Protests over education costs turned into clashes with police, who used tear gas and water cannon.
- When
- October 17, 2026.
- Where
- Brussels and Liège, Belgium.
- Why
- Student groups opposed rising education costs and reforms they feared would make higher education less accessible.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Students demonstrated in Liège over the French-language education system, rising costs and access to study materials.
Several hundred people gathered in Brussels to protest, and some clashed with police.
Police used tear gas and water cannon in Brussels and water cannon in Liège to disperse demonstrators.
- Brussels turnout
- Several hundred people
- Date
- October 17, 2026
- Arrests
- About 10, according to police
- Cities affected
- Brussels and Liège
- Property damage
- Garbage bins and e-scooters were set on fire; a Socialist Party office was vandalized
3 sources
What people are saying
what is unfolding in Brussels is no longer mere protest
all necessary means will be used to restore order in the face of the rioters