Over 100 Detained in Belgium as Student Protests Over Education Costs Turn Violent

Police in Belgium have detained more than 100 individuals following demonstrations in the city of Liege against the rising cost of education. The protests turned violent in some areas, mirroring similar unrest currently gripping neighbouring France.

Students rallied in the city on Tuesday and Wednesday to voice their anger over overcrowded classrooms and difficulties accessing resources within Belgium’s French-language education system. According to the Belga news agency, citing Liege police, 80 people were detained during the demonstrations and 27 were formally arrested. Authorities reported that some participants damaged property and set fires.

Attendees argued that ongoing shortcomings within the education system left them with no alternative but to demonstrate. Amelia Di Salve, a 19-year-old student training to become a teacher, stated, “When we saw nothing was changing without protests, we decided we would start,” noting that demonstrations in France had some influence on their actions. Another 19-year-old student, Alfred, told the Reuters news agency, “We support each other because we’re facing pretty much the same issues.”

Local authorities are working to defuse tensions and prevent further unrest. Willy Demeyer, the mayor of the city of Liege, told Belgian broadcaster RTBF that dialogue remains possible, expressing hope that young people can voice their grievances peacefully and have their concerns addressed.

In Belgium, education is administered independently by the nation's linguistic communities without a single national curriculum. The Flemish population regulates education in the Dutch-speaking Flanders region, while French-speaking Wallonia oversees its own curriculum. In the bilingual capital Brussels, parents have the flexibility to decide where to enroll their children.

These protests in Liege follow sporadic violent demonstrations that took place over the summer in Brussels. Those earlier protests opposed tuition fee increases for students in French-speaking areas, which rose from 835 euros ($930) to 1,194 euros ($1,340). Belgium's education budget has faced intense pressure due to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and soaring energy costs, factors that are similarly fueling student protests in France.