Demonstrations over economic pressure and public services turned violent across parts of Europe on Saturday, with heavy clashes reported between protesters and law enforcement in multiple Belgian cities.
In the capital city of Brussels, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse people participating in cost-of-living demonstrations. Chaos flared in the Bourse district, where officers fired tear gas at youths throwing bottles and other projectiles, a journalist for the AFP news agency reported. In the eastern city of Liege, water cannons were also reportedly deployed against smaller groups of demonstrators.
Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin condemned the escalation on Saturday, writing on social media that the situation was "no longer simply a protest." Quintin described the unrest as "pure and simple violence, organised and repeated with the aim of destabilising our society," and warned that "all necessary measures will be taken to restore order in the face of the rioters."
The violent turn comes after high school students in Belgium demonstrated in recent weeks against rising education costs. Their actions mirror recent rallies in France, where students have been protesting teacher shortages, poor facilities, and overcrowded classrooms.
Mass demonstrations in France also spiraled into severe chaos over the weekend. A television reporting crew was assaulted by looters and rioters in Paris on Saturday near the Place de la Republique while moving to another location. The journalists were confronted on Boulevard de Magenta near an Intermarché Express supermarket that was being targeted by masked individuals.
"We were standing on Boulevard de Magenta, not far from a supermarket that was being looted by young people, young adults, teenagers. When they saw we were filming, they started hitting my cameraman and attempted to take his microphone and they encircled us," correspondent Estelle Nilsson-Julien said. She added that attackers "then pushed him against the wall and started hitting and punching him. They also hit me. They punched him in the face, but because he was wearing goggles and a mask, he was not harmed."
In another part of Paris, a march moving along the Boulevard de Clichy towards the Place de Clichy remained peaceful, according to a journalist on the ground. However, tensions were ramping up as more and more people arrived in the area.
