Clashes broke out between protesters and police in Brussels and Liège on Saturday, October 17, 2026, as anger over the rising cost of living rattled parts of Europe. Belgian police used tear gas and water cannons against demonstrators who threw bottles, fireworks, and other projectiles at security forces, while Interior Minister Bernard Quintin declared that what was unfolding in Brussels was "no longer mere protest."
How the Day Unfolded
According to Reuters, several hundred mostly young people protested in Brussels on Saturday, following calls made on social media to gather near the Belgian capital's central railway station. Police later authorised a protest march, but officers said they used water cannon to disperse groups that threw fireworks and flammable liquids. In the capital's Bourse district, police fired tear gas at youths who lobbed bottles and other missiles, an AFP journalist reported. Police said about 10 people were arrested.
Anadolu Agency, citing public broadcaster RTBF, reported that tensions escalated around 12:30 pm near Brussels-Midi railway station, where demonstrators used construction fencing to erect barricades and threw projectiles at police, who responded with water cannon and tear gas. Rubbish bins and e-scooters were set on fire, a Socialist Party office was vandalised, and a Reuters witness said some protesters overturned a car.
In the eastern city of Liège, police also deployed water cannon against smaller groups of demonstrators, though the main gathering stayed peaceful: around 250 people, mostly young, marched from Liège-Guillemins station toward the city center, the Belga news agency reported.
What the Protesters Are Saying
Belgian student groups have said they are demonstrating against rising education costs and reforms they fear will make higher education less accessible. Students have staged protests in recent weeks against higher university registration fees, and protesters have also raised broader concerns: education funding, public transport costs, working conditions, and social inequality. Anadolu Agency reported that students described financial pressures forcing young people to combine work with their studies, which can lead some to abandon their education.
The Official Response
Interior Minister Bernard Quintin described the violence as "pure and simple violence, organised and repeated to destabilise our society" and called the protesters "rioters." In a post on X, Quintin wrote: "NO, what is unfolding in Brussels is no longer mere protest! It is pure and simple violence, organised and repeated to destabilise our society. All necessary means will be used to restore order in the face of the rioters."
Part of a Wider European Wave
Belgium is not alone. France experienced one of its most turbulent days of protests in decades on Saturday: French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told France 24 that 550,000 people took part in demonstrations against dwindling purchasing power, with 110,000 in Paris, and 400 were arrested over vandalism. In Portugal, tens of thousands marched in Lisbon against rising living costs, low wages, and a worsening housing crisis. In Italy, cost-of-living demonstrations in Milan and Bologna turned violent, with seven people arrested in Bologna; Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on X: "Demonstrating is a right. Turning our cities into battlegrounds is not."
Alberto Alemanno, professor of EU law and policy at HEC Paris, told Al Jazeera the protests are not a single coordinated movement but reflect shared grievances over rising living costs, underfunded education, and uncertain job prospects.
The takeaway: The Brussels and Liège clashes show how quickly economic grievances — education fees, transport costs, living expenses — can spill into street confrontations when young people feel unheard. With European governments balancing budget pressures against public anger, Saturday's unrest may be a preview of a longer season of protest across the continent.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Volatile Reaction (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources: Reuters: Protesters clash with police in Brussels · Al Jazeera: Cost of living protests hit Belgium, Italy, Portugal and France · Anadolu Agency: Clashes in Brussels as Belgium education protests continue · Lokmat Times (ANI): Belgium clashes break out amid cost-of-living agitation