Student protesters damaged a bus and set off several fires during demonstrations across Brussels on Friday (October 9).

Belgian students, inspired in part by student unrest in neighboring France, organized the protest to strike against the government's decision to increase tuition. The unrest follows June clashes between protesters and police in Brussels over education reforms, including a tuition increase for most students in Belgium's French-speaking Community from €835 to €1,194 ($1,280).

Brussels police said in a statement on X that around 30,000 people joined the demonstration. While the march itself finished peacefully, clashes erupted on the outskirts of the march, where groups of "troublemakers"threw bottles, bricks, stones and fireworks at police, set fires and damaged public property.

Police said officers used water cannon and tear gas to disperse the groups and that 21 people had been or arrested, including 13 minors.

The strikes caused significant disruptions across Brussels, with public transport services and flights affected as thousands participated in the demonstrations against the government's budget cuts.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (OCTOBER 9, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF FIRE BURNING, SPARKS FLYING IN AIR

2. SHATTERED WINDOWS OF BUS

3. POLICE SPRAYING WATER CANNON OVER FIRE AND PROTESTERS

4. PROTESTORS HUDDLING IN A GROUP IN FRONT OF POLICE VEHICLE

5. VARIOUS OF POLICE SPRAYING WATER CANON TOWARDS PROTESTORS, PROTESTORS THROWING ITEMS AT POLICE

6. FIRE BURNING BELOW METRO STATION SIGN

7. CROWD OF PROTESTORS CHANTING

8. POLICE MARCHING TOWARDS PROTESTORS WHILE SPRAYING WATER CANNON

9. POLICE MONITORING STREET

10. POLICE SPRAYING THEMSELVES WITH EYE SPRAY