Belgian police detained more than 100 people following protests in the city of Liege against rising education costs, some of which turned violent, as similar demonstrations take place in neighboring France.
Students took to the streets of the city on Tuesday and Wednesday to protest overcrowded classrooms and difficulty accessing resources in Belgium's French-language education system.
According to the Belga news agency, citing Liege police, 80 people were detained during the protests and 27 were formally arrested. Police added that some protesters vandalized property and started fires.
Participants said the shortcomings in the education system left them with no choice but to take to the streets.
"When we saw that nothing changes without protesting, we decided to start," said Amelia Di Salve, 19, who is studying to become a teacher, adding that the protests in "France somewhat influenced us."
"We support each other because we are facing nearly identical problems," Alfred, another 19-year-old student, told Reuters.
'A peaceful way'
Authorities are working to ease tensions and prevent further unrest from spreading.
"Dialogue can be established," Liege Mayor Willy Demeyer told Belgian radio RTBF, expressing hope that "young people can express their grievances peacefully and, if possible, that those concerns are heard."
In Belgium, education is managed independently by the country's language communities and there is no unified national curriculum. The Dutch-speaking community manages education in the Flanders region, while the French-speaking Wallonia region oversees its own curriculum. Parents can decide where to enroll their children in bilingual Brussels.
The protests in Liege follow scattered violent demonstrations during the summer in Brussels against tuition increases for students in French-speaking regions from 835 euros ($930) to 1,194 euros ($1,340).
Belgium's education budget is under pressure from the cost-of-living crisis and soaring energy costs, issues that are also helping fuel student protests in France.
