Clashes broke out on the fringes of an anti-austerity protest in Brussels on Friday as thousands of people marched against the Belgian government’s budget plans.
Riot police used tear gas, water cannon and baton charges after a smaller group near Brussels Central station threw wooden beams, glass bottles and rubbish bins. Fires were also set, leaving an acrid smell in the air alongside the tear gas.
Police said the main trade union rally passed peacefully, but that “groups of troublemakers were responsible for serious incidents before and after the march”. Officers said those causing the disorder were not linked to the demonstration.
Large numbers of police were deployed around the stations, where officers checked groups of young people who were not wearing trade union colours. Emergency services repeatedly dispersed crowds and cleared the area before protests flared up again.
Brussels unions protest against austerity plans
The ABVV trade union and the Christian ACV, Belgium’s two biggest unions, organised the march from Brussels Central to Brussels South station under the slogan “stay out of our pockets”.
Police estimated that about 30,000 people attended, while ABVV had previously put the figure at 50,000. ACV also held a separate protest involving hundreds of activists outside the Brussels headquarters of parties in the governing coalition.
The demonstrations were organised as officials considered a new budget containing measures that unions oppose, including proposals affecting purchasing power, the wage indexation system and value-added tax. The government is also considering introducing annualised working time.
Some young people joined the unrest after being inspired by school protests in France, saying they wanted to raise concerns about the education environment and felt they were “not being listened to”.
The clashes followed a week of tension in Liege, where authorities banned gatherings after students clashed with police and shops were vandalised. More than 200 people were arrested in the city and dozens of police officers were injured.
