Full Breakdown
Belgian Students Protest Tuition Hikes in Liège
By Drooid · · How we work
Liège Protests on Oct 7
On Oct 7, hundreds of students took to the streets of Liège, the eastern Belgian city, to demonstrate against rising costs in the French-language education system. Police reported property damage and arson, and the city’s main train station was temporarily closed. Local authorities issued a BE-Alert warning urging shopkeepers to close early and advising the public to avoid the city centre because of “severe traffic disruption.” The Belga news agency cited local media that said 107 arrests had been made in recent days, while police later confirmed 80 people were detained and 27 were formally arrested.
Background: Tuition Increase and System Pressures
The unrest follows clashes in June in Brussels over a tuition increase for most students in Belgium’s French-speaking Community, raising fees from €835 to €1,194. Belgium’s education is administered separately by its linguistic communities; the French-speaking Wallonia region oversees the curriculum in the area where the protests occurred. Students say overcrowded classrooms and difficulty accessing study materials compound the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and rising energy prices.
Data & Statistics
- Tuition fee rise: €835 -> €1,194 (June reform).
- Reported arrests: 107 (local media via Belga) versus police figures of 80 detained and 27 formally arrested.
Official Statements & Responses
Police messages on social media urged residents to avoid the city centre and warned that “traffic there is severely disrupted.” The BE-Alert system warned businesses of “major unrest” and recommended early closure.
Verbatim Quotes
- “When we saw nothing was changing without protests, we decided we would start,” — Amelia Di Salve, 19-year-old teacher-training student.