A peaceful protest over education spending cuts turned to chaos

A demonstration in the Belgian capital against controversial cuts to education spending has descended into violence. It comes against the backdrop of mounting opposition to the government's efforts to balance the budget. 

What began as a largely peaceful protest by thousands of students and teachers in central Brussels on Thursday later turned violent, with hooded individuals reportedly setting fires, damaging property and clashing with police. Some social media users posting videos on X claimed the unrest had been fueled by groups of migrant youths who infiltrated the demonstration.  

Protestors were opposed to a package of austerity measures put forward by Belgium's French Community government, which oversees French-language education. The reforms would raise annual university tuition fees for most students from 835 ($964) to around 1,194 and require some secondary-school teachers to take on additional classroom hours without extra pay. 

Officials say the measures would save 300 million and help address a budget deficit projected to reach 1.9 billion. The roughly 35% increase would bring fees more closely into line with those at Flemish universities, according to the government. 

The package has sparked months of opposition from students, teachers, and trade unions, who argue that the changes will make higher education less accessible and place additional pressure on already overstretched staff. 

Despite the protests, the Parliament of the French Community approved the bill on Friday after more than 14 hours of debate, paving the way for the reforms to take effect. French Community government leader Elisabeth Degryse defended the measures as necessary to address the region's financial challenges. 

Calls for new demonstrations circulated on social media ahead of the vote, while local media reported that police had been deployed to several locations across the Belgian capital.  

The latest unrest follows months of anti-government protests in Brussels against austerity measures, as Belgium tries to rein in public spending while increasing military expenditure in line with NATO commitments. 

The budget squeeze also comes amid an EU-wide energy crisis following the bloc's reduction of Russian oil and gas imports, which has contributed to higher costs for consumers. Supply chain disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict have further exacerbated the situation.