Thousands march in Brussels as national strike hits hard

More than 100,000 protesters were expected to gather across Brussels on Tuesday as Belgium's national strike brought large parts of the capital to a standstill, causing major disruptions in air travel and public transport.

All departing flights and at least half of incoming flights at Brussels Airport were canceled due to the strike, leaving the usually busy departure hall completely deserted, local media reported.

Around 48,000 passengers were affected, including 33,000 scheduled to depart and 15,000 due to arrive. Only flights carrying around 17,000 passengers were able to land, according to airport authorities.

This marks the sixth time this year that Brussels Airport has been affected by industrial action, impacting more than 250,000 passengers in total.

The protest also caused widespread disruptions in public transport. Only a limited number of metro, tram, and bus lines operated in Brussels throughout the morning, while De Lijn and TEC networks in Flanders and Wallonia also faced severe disruptions.

In Wallonia, around 64% of planned routes were canceled, and the Liege-Verviers network was particularly affected.

Several tunnels in central Brussels, including Annie Cordy, Botanique, and Rogier, were temporarily closed due to a small fire, further worsening traffic congestion.

Schools were also expected to be heavily impacted as many teachers joined the demonstration.

Unions called the nationwide protest to denounce the government's austerity measures, wage policies, and cost-of-living pressures.