Liège school protests lead to 107 arrests
The Belgian city saw fresh damage and confrontations on Tuesday, while sources say the education movement also retains peaceful support.
In Liège, 107 people have been detained since the start of the school protests, Anadolu Agency reports, citing local authorities. The demonstrations are directed, among other things, against higher education costs, more expensive public transport passes and problems in French-language education.
Police said 53 people were detained on Tuesday: 46 administratively and seven judicially. The total since the beginning of the month thus stands at 80 administrative and 27 judicial arrests. Police say some participants damaged property and started fires.
A local news source reports that unrest escalated around Place Saint-Lambert on Tuesday afternoon. Shops, windows of the courthouse and tram stops were damaged. Police deployed water cannon and tear gas to disperse groups. The same source also reported that officers were injured.
The protests began as a movement of pupils and students in French-speaking Belgium. According to Anadolu, the criticism concerns higher higher-education costs, more expensive transport passes, overcrowded classes, heavy timetables and inadequate access to teaching materials. VRT had previously also described complaints about overcrowded classes, discontinued courses and more expensive studies.
The mayor of Liège and the local police chief distinguish between the right to protest and violence or destruction. They say people from outside the education movement are trying to use the protest for confrontations. That statement is an assessment by the authorities and police; it has not been independently established how many participants might be outsiders.
According to Anadolu, there were fresh gatherings on Wednesday, including a peaceful gathering at Athénée Léonie de Waha. This underlines that the movement does not consist solely of riots. The coming days will show whether the education debate returns to centre stage or whether public order continues to determine the political agenda.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Police report 107 arrests since the start of the protests in Liège.
- According to public sources, the movement concerns costs, education conditions and public transport.
- Alongside damage and police action, there were also peaceful gatherings.
- The mayor and police say some outsiders are trying to use the protest.
Left
Arguments The anger of pupils and students points to structural problems: education is becoming more expensive, classes are overcrowded and young people feel they have fewer prospects. Violence must be prosecuted, but it must not be used to ignore the underlying grievances.
Values Equal access to education, social solidarity, public investment and participation.
Consequences Investment and dialogue could depoliticise the movement and prevent escalation; repression alone could widen the distance between young people and the authorities.
Centre
Arguments The authorities must distinguish between peaceful demonstrators and people who cause damage. At the same time, the education grievances should be examined through dialogue, budgetary choices and measurable improvements.
Values Proportionality, administrative responsibility, continuity of education and public order.
Consequences A combination of enforcement and concrete dialogue offers the best chance of restoring both safety and trust.
Right
Arguments Destruction and attacks on police must not be excused by social frustration. Schools and the city administration must restore order and ensure that education is not held hostage by street violence.
Values Safety, responsibility, authority and protection of property.
Consequences Swift prosecution and stricter protest rules may limit repetition, but without attention to the education grievances, the breeding ground will remain.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
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The arrest figures and protest demands are linked to concrete sources. Political and police statements about outsiders and the cause of the damage are not presented as independent facts.
- confirmed Since the beginning of October, 107 people have been detained in Liège, of whom 80 were administrative and 27 judicial. — Reported by Anadolu Agency on the basis of local authorities. source
- confirmed Fifty-three people were detained on Tuesday. — The same source breaks this down into 46 administrative and seven judicial arrests. source
- confirmed The protests concern, among other things, education costs, transport, overcrowded classes and teaching materials. — Described by Anadolu and VRT. source
- confirmed There were also peaceful gatherings on Wednesday. — Reported by Anadolu Agency. source
Editor's note
The arrest figures and education grievances have been described by multiple independent sources. The claim that outsiders are instrumentalising the protest comes from the mayor and police and is presented as their assessment.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „belgië luik”
- AD — „belgië luik”
- de Volkskrant — „belgië luik”