Brussels:Police deployed water cannons and tear gas in Brussels on Saturday as clashes erupted between law enforcement and protesters. Students and supporters gathered in two Belgian cities to rally against education reforms, austerity measures, and police repression.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, tensions escalated near the Brussels-Midi railway station around 1230 pm (1030 GMT). Demonstrators erected a barricade using construction fencing and hurled projectiles at police, prompting a response with water cannons and tear gas before officers charged the crowd.

Earlier in the day, approximately 100 students, teachers, and trade union activists had assembled near Brussels Central Station. Although initially unauthorized, the protest eventually received permission to march towards Brussels-Midi. Police were present in large numbers, conducting stops and searches.

Protesters voiced their discontent with police repression and the federal government's policies. This demonstration followed previous clashes between police and students during an October 9 trade union event.

In Liege, around 250 people, primarily young individuals, gathered outside the Liege-Guillemins station and marched peacefully towards the city center. Workers and parents joined the procession, highlighting issues such as education funding, tuition fees, public transport costs, working conditions, and social inequality.

Participants shared concerns about the financial pressures forcing students to balance work with studies, sometimes leading to the abandonment of their education. Some also expressed solidarity with concurrent protests in France against rising living costs.