Over 100 arrested in Belgium student protests over education costs

Protesting students demand accessible education in French-speaking areas of the country.Police in Belgium have detained more than 100 people after demonstrations in the city of Liege against the rising cost of education turned violent in some places, as similar protests grip neighbouring France.Students rallied in the city on Tuesday and Wednesday against overcrowded classrooms and difficulty accessing resources in Belgium’s French-language education system.Eighty people were detained during the protests, and 27 were formally arrested, the Belga news agency reported, citing the Liege police.Some protesters damaged property and set fires, the police added.Attendees insisted that shortcomings in the education system gave them no choice but to take to the streets.“When we saw nothing was changing without protests, we decided we would start,” said Amelia Di Salve, a 19-year-old studying to become a teacher, who added that protests in “France did influence us a little”.“We support each other because we’re facing pretty much the same issues,” Alfred, another 19-year-old ⁠student, told the Reuters news agency.‘Peaceful way’Authorities were attempting to defuse tensions and head off further unrest.“Dialogue can be established,” Willy Demeyer, the mayor of the city of Liege, told Belgian broadcaster RTBF, adding that he hoped “young people can express their grievances in a peaceful way and if possible have those concerns heard”.Demonstrators smash a shop window during a protest by high school students against education reforms and increased student fees in Liege, Belgium, on October 7, 2026 [Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters]In Belgium, education is managed independently by the country’s linguistic communities, and there is no single national curriculum.