Gathering in central Brussels

Several hundred young people gathered at Brussels-Central station on Saturday, 17 October, according to De Standaard, which put the gathering around 10:00 local time. Crowd estimates differ by report: 7sur7 described about one hundred young people at Gare Centrale around 10:30, while La Libre counted 500 to 600 demonstrators with diverse demands. The protest was called by student collectives after recent Belgian mobilisations against government austerity and cuts to schooling, following the French protests. Teachers and trade unionists were also part of the group, and the chants were anti-fascist. Police were present in large numbers, and officers had already checked and searched several people in the area by late morning.

Route toward Brussels-Midi

Before 11:00 local time, 7sur7 reported, the column set off toward the Albertine square and then tried to reach the Mont des Arts, but police blocked the stairs. Protesters turned back after a few minutes while continuing to chant. According to Notícias ao Minuto, a march toward Brussels-Midi took place in mid-morning, and authorities had blocked access at some points along the route. By around noon the demonstrators had reached the Europe esplanade, where police stopped them from going elsewhere. La Libre placed clashes at around 12:30 local time, with police using teargas and a water cannon.

Mayor says no demonstration was authorised

Philippe Close, the socialist mayor of Brussels, said none of the demonstrations planned for Saturday had official authorisation. Calls to protest in the capital had circulated on social media on Friday, 16 October, including from French-speaking students linked to the yellow vests movement in France. Notícias ao Minuto described the protest as passing without clashes in its own report, even as access had been blocked at some points, which differs from La Libre's account of clashes at about 12:30. No arrest or injury figures appear in the material available so far.

Liège and the wider wave of protests

Notícias ao Minuto described a separate group in Liège contesting education cuts, working conditions, public services and social inequality. ANSA said the student mobilisation in Liège had started in early October, and that a demonstration was also taking place in Liège on Saturday. De Standaard noted that demonstrations and riots had already taken place earlier in October, and that a new call to gather had been issued for Saturday. The same outlet said the crowd appeared to consist mainly of anti-fascist demonstrators rather than pupils from French-speaking schools.

Current status

As of the latest reports, the demonstrations in Brussels and Liège were still under way. Police kept a presence in the area and were watching from a distance, according to De Standaard. The sources agree on the core facts: a youth-led protest against austerity and school conditions, and a police response that included teargas and a water cannon in Brussels. No further steps were announced in the material available.