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

Students are calling for affordable and accessible higher education amid rising fees and systemic reforms in the French-speaking regions.

Published On 7 Oct 20267 Oct 2026

Belgian police have detained over 100 individuals following demonstrations in the city of Liege, where protests against the rising cost of education escalated into violence, mirroring ongoing unrest in neighboring France.

Students took to the streets on Tuesday and Wednesday to rally against overcrowded classrooms and the growing difficulty in accessing educational resources within the country’s French-language education system.

According to the Belga news agency, citing local police, eighty people were detained during the clashes, with twenty-seven formally arrested.

Police reported that some protesters engaged in property damage and arson during the demonstrations.

Participants argued that systemic shortcomings within the education sector left them with no alternative but to protest in the streets.

“When we realized that no changes would happen without taking a stand, we decided to begin,” stated Amelia Di Salve, a 19-year-old aspiring teacher, noting that protests in France had some influence on their movement.

“We stand in solidarity because we are facing virtually identical challenges,” Alfred, another 19-year-old student, remarked in an interview with Reuters.

A Call for Peaceful Dialogue

Local authorities are actively working to defuse tensions and prevent any further escalation of unrest.

“Dialogue remains possible,” Willy Demeyer, the mayor of Liege, stated in an address to Belgian broadcaster RTBF. He expressed hope that young people would voice their grievances peacefully and be heard.

In Belgium, educational administration is divided among the country’s distinct linguistic communities, with no single national curriculum in place.

Specifically, the Flemish population manages education in the Dutch-speaking Flanders region, while French-speaking Wallonia oversees its own educational curriculum.

Within the bilingual capital of Brussels, parents retain the autonomy to choose where to enroll their children.

The recent protests in Liege follow a series of sporadic, violent demonstrations over the summer in Brussels. These earlier protests targeted an increase in tuition fees for students in French-speaking areas, which rose from 835 euros ($930) to 1,194 euros ($1,340).

The Belgian education budget is facing significant pressure due to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and rising energy costs—challenges that are also driving student protests across neighboring France.

Source link