Belgium: high school demonstrations degenerate in several cities across the country, including Liège

Demonstrations by high school students gave rise to violence and damage in several cities in Belgium on Monday, October 6, with dozens of arrests and 18 police officers lightly injured in Liège, according to local police. This is the third day that secondary school students have expressed their anger at the cost-saving measures announced in French-speaking Belgium.

The movement spread on Monday to several other large cities including Mons and Charleroi, in the south of the country, leading to arrests for disturbing public order. In Liège, a police source counted around a thousand demonstrators divided into small, very mobile groups, going from one establishment to another to demonstrate in a “disorganized” manner. In the afternoon the situation degenerated when certain demonstrators attacked bus shelters and started several fires on public roads, including trash fires.

The situation deteriorated Monday afternoon

The police lines responded to the throwing of projectiles, paving stones or barriers with tear gas and water cannon fire, Liège police said. In a square in the city center, the scene of the main damage, images from public television showed large commercial brands having preferred to close their doors.

During a demonstration in Hannut, a small town located west of Liège, a pyrotechnic device landed in the courtyard of a primary school and around fifteen children were hit by sparks, which required treatment by paramedics, according to the Belga press agency.