A group of students in Belgium marched to protest their dissatisfaction with rising education costs, following similar movements in France that have already resulted in thousands of arrests.
Foreign news agencies reported on 7 Oct 2026 that hundreds of students in the city of Liège, Belgium, took to the streets in protest, partly inspired by movements in neighboring France. Local media reported that 107 protesters have been arrested in recent days.
According to Belga, a local news outlet, the arrests were linked to offenses including property damage and arson, though local authorities have not immediately confirmed the exact number of arrests.
This protest was triggered by issues within Belgium’s French-language education system. Students highlighted rising education costs, overcrowded classrooms, and difficulties accessing learning materials. Protesters carried signs saying things like “It’s a mess, we fight for rights, not privileges!” and “I choose education, not The Hunger Games!”
These disturbances resemble clashes between protesters and police in Brussels last June, during demonstrations against education reforms, including raising tuition fees for most students in Belgium’s French-speaking community from 835 euros to 1,194 euros.
Videos circulating on social media in recent days showed damage and hundreds of mostly young protesters in Liège. Other clips showed police setting up roadblocks, and during Wednesday’s protest, officers searched students for weapons.
Some students told Reuters they had communicated with student groups in France. Alfred, a 19-year-old student, said, “We support each other because we face very similar problems.”
Amélie D. Salve, 19, studying to become a teacher, said the student movement in Belgium began earlier this year and reignited after seeing protests in France. “When we saw nothing changes without protests, we decided to take action... France has somewhat influenced us.”
Liège’s mayor, Willy Demeyer, told Belgium’s RTBF television he hopes for a return to calm and “hopes for dialogue so youth can express their frustrations peacefully, and if possible, have their concerns heard.”
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Source:cna