Brussels has been rocked by student protests and clashes with police
In Brussels, a peaceful protest by students and teachers against cuts to education funding quickly escalated into clashes with police when demonstrators began smashing shop windows and setting fires in the city streets. Police responded with tear gas and water cannons, attempting to contain the crowd and prevent it from breaking through to government buildings.
On Thursday, June 4, students and teachers gathered in central Brussels to protest budget cuts to education in Belgium’s French-speaking regions. At first, the event looked like a routine demonstration, but the situation quickly escalated when some participants began acting aggressively.
Protesters set electric scooters on fire, smashed store windows, and damaged bus stops near Central Station. As a result, police were forced to block off streets and use water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Some groups of demonstrators tried to break into the building of the Parliament of the French Community while a vote on the reform was taking place there. They tried to break down the doors and get inside, but the police prevented them from approaching the chamber.
BREAKING. What mind-boggling footage. At #BrusselsCentral, scooters are being set on fire, barricades erected, bus shelters destroyed, and fireworks fired at emergency services, among others. Unbelievable. Clean up and crack down hard—that’s the only language this scum understands! pic.twitter.com/LxMUntuSWX
— Tom Van Grieken (@tomvangrieken) June 4, 2026
Meanwhile, another group of protesters marched through the city streets, lighting flares and blocking traffic. This caused severe traffic jams in several areas of the capital, forcing residents to find detours.
Belgian police continue to monitor the situation, and traffic and order are gradually being restored in the city following the unrest. This is reported by Politico and De Standaard.
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