Belgium: Thousands protest alleged police violence in Brussels

Protesters marched through the city carrying banners reading “My teachers, my heroes” and “Violence is not democracy”, while some areas showed signs of earlier unrest, including burned bicycles and graffiti. The demonstration followed several days of tension between activists and police, during which officers used water cannons and tear gas to disperse crowds. Organisers accused authorities of responding disproportionately to largely peaceful protests against planned budget reductions. The unrest stems from proposed spending cuts backed by French-speaking Belgian lawmakers, measures that critics say would significantly affect schools and education services across Belgium’s French-speaking regions. The protest movement, led in part by the group Mars Attacks, announced plans to continue daily demonstrations over the next two weeks in several cities across Wallonia. Images from Brussels showed riot police deployed in large numbers as authorities sought to prevent further disturbances. The latest mobilisation highlights growing opposition to the reforms and raises concerns about the escalating confrontation between protesters and law enforcement as the political debate intensifies.