Brussels Anti-Austerity March Draws 30,000 as Masked Youths Clash With Police

Riot police fired tear gas and water cannon in central Brussels on Friday after groups of masked youths clashed with officers on the edges of a large trade union march against the Belgian government's austerity plans. Police estimated that about 30,000 people joined the national day of action, which disrupted traffic and public transport across the capital.

The clashes broke out around Brussels Central railway station, in the heart of the city's tourist district. Young protesters, many dressed in black with their faces covered, threw stones, bottles, sticks and fireworks at police and started several fires, including one on a pile of shared city bikes and electric scooters. Officers responded with water cannon, tear gas and baton charges to push the crowds out of the area.

Union march stays peaceful

Police and union leaders both separated the violence from the main protest. Police said the people responsible for the public-order trouble were not linked to the rally, and union officials said the rioters did not represent the thousands who had come to march. The union procession itself, with many marchers dressed in red or green, moved through the city centre without incident.

Reports differed on how many people were involved in the clashes. Some accounts described dozens of youths, while others said several hundred had gathered alongside the demonstrators as tensions rose during the afternoon.

Why Belgians are on the streets

The protest was the latest in a series of strikes against Prime Minister Bart De Wever's plan to cut about 10 billion euros from public spending over the next few years to bring down the country's large budget deficit. Belgium, like neighbouring France and Italy, carries a heavy public debt load, and its government is under pressure to show it can control borrowing.

De Wever, a Flemish conservative, is in difficult negotiations with his coalition partners and is aiming to agree a budget deal by October 13. Unions want the government to raise taxes on the highest earners instead of cutting spending on areas such as health or raising value-added tax. Marchers also spoke about rising living costs, including higher school fees and more expensive train and public transport tickets.

Students join the protests

Friday's march came after a tense week in Liege, where secondary-school students from Belgium's French-speaking community have been protesting against cuts to education budgets. Those demonstrations turned violent on several days. More than 200 people were arrested, dozens of police officers were injured, and local authorities banned public gatherings in the city.

The student movement has been inspired in part by youth protests across the border in France. Union representatives said teachers and students alike could see conditions in schools getting worse, and that frustration was spreading beyond traditional labour groups.

What comes next

The scale of Friday's turnout adds pressure on De Wever's coalition as it tries to finish its budget. Union leaders have signalled that more action is likely if the government goes ahead with cuts to public services and wage protections. The authorities, meanwhile, face the challenge of letting large lawful protests go ahead while preventing smaller groups from turning them into street violence.

For Europe more broadly, the unrest in Belgium is another sign of the political cost of fiscal tightening, as several heavily indebted governments try to cut deficits while voters are already struggling with higher living costs.

This is an original summary based on public reporting. See our editorial policy for how we source, write, and correct our stories.