Student unrest escalates in Belgium’s Liege amid education protests

Student demonstrations in the Belgian city of Liege turned violent Tuesday, with protesters smashing windows, setting fires and clashing with police as hundreds took part in demonstrations against education policies and rising public transport fares, according to local media reports.

A group of protesters broke several windows at the Royal Athenaeum of Liege 1 and set a garbage bin on fire, prompting the deployment of riot police and a water cannon, broadcaster RTBF reported.

The demonstration later split into several groups, with protesters gathering around Liege-Guillemins railway station, the Fragnee Bridge and Saint-Lambert Square.

Several businesses, including the Saint-Lambert shopping center, temporarily closed their doors amid the unrest.

Firecrackers and fireworks were also set off in several parts of the city.

Police deployed tear gas and a water cannon to disperse protesters after garbage bins and scooters were set on fire between Saint-Lambert Square and the city's Opera House.

Traffic in central Liege was severely disrupted.

The Liege Public Prosecutor's Office said Tuesday that 33 people had been subject to administrative arrest and 20 to judicial arrest since Oct. 1, including 17 minors.

Authorities said 12 people had been referred to the courthouse by Liege authorities.

The prosecutor's office said 22 police officers in Liege were injured during incidents Monday.

A 13-year-old boy appeared before a juvenile court after allegedly using social media to call on others to set a school on fire using jerrycans, according to the Liege Public Prosecutor's Office.

Defense minister calls for national service

Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken criticized the violence in a Facebook post, saying teenagers were vandalizing schools and attacking teachers and police officers.

Francken renewed his call for the restoration of national service, saying it should not be limited to military service and could include work in areas such as health care and education.

He also criticized social media platform TikTok, describing it as a tool for "destabilizing Western societies" and calling for it to be banned.

The movement in Belgium came as French high school students have been blocking access to and staging protests outside their schools for several days, demanding better learning conditions.