Clashes in Belgium over Education Cuts

Featured image: Barricade in front of the Central Station on June 4. Source: Belga

Over 3,000 students and teachers have protested since the end of last week over the education reform.

Students and teachers took to the streets in Brussels, Belgium over the vote for the new education reform in the French Community parliament (Wallonia-Brussels Federation) which will cut the budget. This new anti-popular reform aims to reduce the budget by increasing teacher’s class hours, reducing funding for free school supplies and increasing over a 30% the tuition fees for a majority of higher education.

The combative protests erupted, erecting barricades with containers and bikes and throwing fireworks and projectiles on the police. Additionally ready-to-use petrol bombs were reported.

According to local media, just after the lawmakers of the parliament approved the reform, the students attempted to enter in the parliament building by forcing open doors while police prevented them.

A hundred people were detained, among them several teenagers. One senator criticized the demonstrations, and urged the teachers to “stop inciting the youth”. Over months, unions, teachers and students have shown their rejection to the new anti-popular reform, which has been met with widespread combativeness and anger by the people.

New calls for demonstrations have been made for this week.