HUNDREDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE PROTEST IN CENTRAL BRUSSELS

BRUSSELS, OCTOBER 17 /SRNA-Reuters/ - Hundreds of mostly young people protested in Brussels today, with some demonstrators clashing with police.

Belgian student associations said they were protesting against rising education costs and reforms that they fear will make higher education increasingly inaccessible.

Demonstrators gathered in central Brussels, many of them wearing masks and chanting anti-fascist slogans. Police used tear gas and water cannons, while some demonstrators overturned vehicles.

Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said in a post on X that what was happening in Brussels could no longer be considered a protest and that all necessary means would be used to restore law and order.

Protests are also taking place in Liège, in eastern Belgium, where students demonstrated earlier this month over the French-language education system, citing rising education costs and difficulties accessing learning materials.

The unrest in France began last month due to rising education costs and poor school conditions. However, it has since evolved into a broader movement addressing issues of inequality, public spending, and living standards.