Brussels:Students at the Universite libre de Bruxelles (ULB) partially blocked the Solbosch campus on Thursday to protest against a proposed increase in tuition fees.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, the protest was organized by the 'Gen-Z counter-attack' collective, which includes students, student associations, researchers, teachers, and university staff. The blockade began in the morning, although access to some buildings was restricted, students could still enter the campus.

The collective is protesting a 43% increase in annual tuition fees, which, according to data from the Wallonia-Brussels Federation cited by Le Soir, will affect 58% of higher education students. In addition to the fee hike, the group is opposing reforms to the landscape decree, reduced funding for lower education, rising transport costs, and police interventions against young people participating in protests.

The collective had also called for the cancellation of classes on Thursday, a request that was not granted by ULB. Furthermore, the group is urging the university to end outsourcing, especially for cleaning services.