Thousands of people took to the streets of Brussels on Friday to oppose the Belgian government’s planned budget cuts and the mounting cost of everyday life. Demonstrations were largely peaceful, but clashes broke out between some protesters and police.
At Brussels’ central railway station, dozens of mostly young demonstrators wearing black clothing and face coverings reportedly hurled rocks and firecrackers at officers, according to The Associated Press.
Several fires were also set during the unrest. Images showed one man setting a shared electric scooter on fire.
A man sets a shared electric scooter on fire during a national protest against the Belgian government’s planned budget measures in Brussels, Belgium, on Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
Riot police used tear gas and water cannons to break up the crowds, sending demonstrators into surrounding streets. The confrontation also worsened traffic throughout the Belgian capital.
Police said those behind the violence were not connected to the anti-austerity rally, which organizers said attracted about 30,000 people, the AP reported.
Two of Belgium’s biggest labor unions called Friday’s nationwide strike, while another walkout by public-sector workers is scheduled for Monday. Union officials condemned the violence and said the people responsible were not part of their movement.
Protesters clash with riot police during a national demonstration against government budget cuts and proposed reforms in Brussels, Belgium, on Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
Union members and supporters, many wearing red or green, marched peacefully through Brussels as part of the demonstration.
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Marie Gobert, a single mother and social worker who traveled from Namur, told the AP that she “cannot make ends meet.”
She said the rising prices of schooling, public transportation and train fares were among her biggest concerns.
Thousands of demonstrators take part in a national protest organized by Belgian labor unions in Brussels, Belgium, on Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
“You can feel the social tension, you can feel anger starting to simmer everywhere,” Gobert said. “The education system is being dismantled, and when young people want to speak out, no one listens to them.”
As part of a wider austerity drive, Belgium’s French Community government increased standard university tuition this academic year by about 43%. Fees rose from €835 to €1,194 over the summer.
A man kicks a tear gas canister back toward police during a protest in Brussels, Belgium, on Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
The tuition increase has already fueled tensions. In June, protesters clashed with police in Brussels over the higher fees and broader problems in the French-language education system, including overcrowded classrooms and limited access to study materials.
Hundreds of students demonstrated this week in Liège, in eastern Belgium. Local media reported that 107 students were arrested.
