Protesters clash with police in Belgium as demonstrations turn violent across Europe

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Violent Demonstrations in Belgium Trigger Widespread Disorder Across Europe

Protests in Brussels and Liège erupted into violent confrontations with police on Saturday, joining a growing trend of unrest spread throughout Europe.

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Social media has circulated footage depicting police deploying water cannons and tear gas to disperse participants of cost‑of‑living demonstrations in the nation’s capital.

According to an AFP reporter, officers in Brussels deployed tear gas on youths hurling bottles and other objects in the Bourse district, while water cannons were reportedly employed against sizable clusters in eastern Liège.

Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin declared on Saturday that the scene had transcended ordinary protest activity.

“It is pure and simple violence, organised and repeated with the aim of destabilising our society,” he wrote in a social‑media post, stressing that \”all necessary measures will be taken to restore order in the face of the rioters.\”

Belgian secondary‑school students have organized recent demonstrations opposing skyrocketing tuition fees, aligning with French youth urging action on teacher deficits, substandard infrastructure, and cramped learning environments.

These developments occur amid widespread street disruptions in Paris, whose massive demonstrations spiraled into chaotic scenes over the previous weekend.

An Euronews team was ambushed by looters and rioters in the downtown area near the Place de la Republic during coverage of the ongoing protests.

“We were positioned on Boulevard de Magenta, a short distance from a supermarket that was under robbery by youthful crowds,” explained Estelle Nilsson‑Julien, Euronews’ Paris correspondent,
“when the crowd spotted our cameras they assaulted our videographer, tried to seize his microphone and surrounded us,”

“They subsequently drove the attacker into a wall, resorting to strikes and blows. Our videographer was subjected to similar attacks and endured facial injuries, though his protective goggles and mask prevented serious damage,” she added.

Despite this calm, a March proceeding along the Boulevard de Clichy toward Place Clichy reported peaceful progress by journalists on the ground, although mounting pressure increased as additional demonstrators gathered along the avenue.

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