Brussels became a battleground on Friday, October 9, as a national anti-austerity demonstration drew up to 50,000 people — and a fringe of masked rioters turned the march into a night of fires, tear gas, and mass arrests. Prosecutors have now ordered 21 people, including 17 minors, brought before judicial authorities, promising a "firm and systematic criminal response."
What the demonstrators wanted
The daylong national strike, organized by two of Belgium's largest trade unions, targeted the budget reforms of Prime Minister Bart De Wever's government. Police estimated around 30,000 marchers; the FGTB union put the figure near 50,000. Unions warned proposed savings would hit workers, pensioners, and low-income households, while students joined against education funding cuts and rising study costs.
Single mother and social worker Marie Gobert, who traveled from Namur, told the AP she "cannot make ends meet," citing rising school, transport, and train costs. The Belgian government has defended its fiscal approach as necessary to address the country's financial pressures.
How it turned violent
Near Brussels-Central and Brussels-Midi railway stations, groups of masked individuals — mostly young and dressed in black — threw rocks and firecrackers at police and set fires, including a shared electric scooter torched in the street. Officers responded with tear gas and water cannon.
Police distinguished the clashes from the main march, which remained largely peaceful. Union leaders condemned the violence and said those responsible were not affiliated with their movement.
The crackdown
Police initially detained around 110 people — 80 administrative detentions and 30 judicial arrests. Prosecutors then ordered 21 individuals (17 minors, four adults) brought before judicial authorities on suspicion of arson, vandalism, violence, armed resistance, weapons offences, and threats, assigning three additional magistrates to the investigations.
The damage: four buses, three trams, car-sharing vehicles, and numerous shared e-scooters damaged or set alight. Transport operator STIB said it would file a complaint; the total financial cost is still being assessed.
Both sides of the debate
Supporters of the strike frame it as working people's defense against austerity that punishes those least able to bear it — while condemning the fringe violence as a distraction from the cause. Government supporters argue Belgium's public finances demand discipline, and that arson and attacks on police cannot be excused by the cause behind the march. The two narratives now play out simultaneously: in the courts, and in the country's ongoing argument over its budget.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Hitman (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0