IN PHOTOS | Belgium youths, police clash during protests

Police and young protesters clashed in Brussels on Friday, as tens of thousands of people rallied in the Belgian capital against rising living costs and budget-tightening measures introduced by the government.

Youths join nationwide rallies organized by unions protesting rising living costs

The Associated Press

· Posted: Oct 09, 2026 1:35 PM EDT | Last Updated: 14 minutes ago

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Police and protesters clashed in Brussels on Friday, as tens of thousands of people rallied in the Belgian capital against rising living costs and budget-tightening measures introduced by the government.

Dozens of protesters — many of them young, dressed in black and wearing masks — threw rocks and firecrackers at police at the central Brussels railway station before setting several fires, one to a pile of city bikes and electric scooters.

(Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters)

(Dirk Waem/Belga/AFP/Getty Images)

Riot police responded with tear gas, water cannons and baton charges, pushing the protesters from the area. Traffic and public transport across the city were disrupted.

(Yves Herman/Reuters)

(Yves Herman/Reuters)

(Yves Herman/Reuters)

Police said that those "who caused the problems of public order are not linked" to the anti-austerity rally, which they said drew about 30,000 people. The nationwide strike was called by Belgium's two largest unions, the socialist FGTB/ABVV and Christian ACV-CSC.

(Nicolas Tucat/AFP/Getty Images)

(Yves Herman/Reuters)

The confrontations came after a week of tensions in the city of Liège, Belgium, where authorities placed a ban on public gatherings as students clashed with police and vandalized shops. More than 200 people were arrested in Liège and dozens of police officers were injured.