"I chose education, not 'The Hunger Games'" - Belgian students protest tuition costs; arrests made
Kyiv • UNN
Students in Liège are protesting rising tuition costs and problems in education. The arrests are related to property damage and arson.
Hundreds of students, inspired in particular by the wave of protests in the education sector in neighboring France, took to the streets of the Belgian city of Liège. Local media report 107 arrests in recent days, UNN reports, citing Reuters.
Details
The Belga news agency reported that the arrests were linked to offenses such as property damage and arson.
The students are protesting the state of the education system in the French-speaking part of Belgium, complaining about rising tuition costs, overcrowded classrooms, and difficulties accessing educational materials.
They held signs bearing slogans such as "It's a mess here, we're fighting for a right! Not a privilege!" and "I chose education, not the \"Hunger Games\"!!".
The unrest followed clashes in June between protesters and police in Brussels, sparked by education reforms, including an increase in tuition fees for most students from Belgium's French-speaking community from 835 to 1,194 euros (1,280 U.S. dollars).
Videos circulating on social media in recent days show shattered glass, fires, and hundreds of mostly young protesters in Liège, as well as police blocking roads.
During Wednesday's protest, police were seen checking students for weapons.
Additionally
Some students told Reuters that they were keeping in touch with their French counterparts.
"We support each other because we are facing almost the same problems," said 19-year-old student Alfred.
Amelia Di Salve, who is also 19 and is training to become a teacher, said that the student movement in Belgium began at the start of the year but gained renewed momentum after students saw the demonstrations in France.
"When we realized that nothing would change without protests, we decided to take action... France really influenced us to some extent," she said.
Liège Mayor Willy Demeyer told Belgian broadcaster RTBF that he hoped calm would be restored and that "it would be possible to establish a dialogue, and young people would be able to express their grievances peacefully and, if possible, be heard."