Violence erupted in Brussels on Thursday when demonstrators protesting proposed changes to the education system clashed with law enforcement officers.
Local authorities used social media to warn residents to stay away from the area surrounding the capital’s main train station. News crews on the scene documented damage including vandalized bicycles and destroyed street signs scattered across the area.
The protests targeted reforms proposed by Belgium’s French Community government, which manages education conducted in French. Under the plan, yearly costs for university students would rise to approximately €1,100 ($1,280.18) from the current €835. Additionally, high school teachers would be required to work two extra hours in the classroom each week.
Lawmakers in the French Community parliament are scheduled to consider these budget-reduction proposals in a vote scheduled for later Thursday.
($1 = 0.8593 euros)
