Fresh unrest broke out in central Brussels on Saturday afternoon after police had earlier intercepted a group of protesters in Anderlecht.
The disturbances were seen in the area around Boulevard Lemonnier and Avenue de Stalingrad, according to Belga reporters at the scene. Protesters damaged property in several places. Rubbish bags were set on fire, construction equipment was vandalised and a car was overturned onto its roof.
A protest in Brussels turned into rioting shortly before 13:00 on Saturday, as demonstrators clashed with police near Brussels South station. After a cat-and-mouse chase through the streets of Anderlecht, Brussels police stopped a group of protesters at Place Albert I, where several groups were surrounded by armed officers and some demonstrators were arrested.
Between 500 and 600 protesters had gathered on the Europa Esplanade, close to the station.
Related News
- Youth marches in Liège against austerity measures
- Brussels orders removal of shared bikes and scooters from city centre ahead of protests
- Antifascists gather at Brussels central station
According to initial reports, some demonstrators used construction barriers to advance towards police before throwing a range of projectiles at officers.
Police responded by deploying tear gas and a water cannon. The protesters were later pushed back towards Brussels-South station. Earlier, protesters had set shared bicycles and e-scooters on fire in several locations or used them to build barricades.
The riots started on Saturday morning, when protesters gathered again following days of simmering unrest. The crowd is largely comprised of antifascist activists and is unrelated to the school protests of the previous weeks across France and Belgium. The march began shortly before 11:00, heading south before police attempted to block the way.
It remains unclear whether anyone was injured. No serious damage appears to have been caused.
