Student Protests Spread to Mons, Charleroi and Brussels
The French-speaking student protests that began in Liège spread on 5 October 2026 to other major cities in Wallonia, including Mons and Charleroi, as well as the Brussels-Capital Region. In Charleroi, 21 student protesters were arrested; police said they had set fire to dumpsters using electric scooter batteries. In Brussels, blockades were put up in front of the Athénée Charles Janssens in the municipality of Ixelles.
Protests also continued in Liège itself. Liège police later reported that 16 people were detained in the city on 5 October alone, and 22 police officers were injured. Across the cities, students repeated the same demands: a larger education budget, smaller classes and better materials and buildings.
The movement was triggered by education reforms and budget cuts in the French-speaking Community, including a rise in higher-education tuition from 835 euros to 1,194 euros for most students. The community government, facing financial difficulties, had already decided cost-cutting measures on 5 June, including two extra hours a week for teachers without a pay rise.
The protesters remain in contact with their peers in France, offering mutual support. With Belgium's two largest unions calling national protest action for 9 October, the student movement is converging with the unions' budget fight, and street tensions in Wallonia and Brussels are expected to continue.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 沙勒罗瓦市区。照片：Jmh2o，CC BY-SA 4.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons（Charleroi - Beffroi vu de la place du Manège - 2023-07-06 - 01.jpg）
