Full Breakdown
Liège Student Protests Escalate Amid Tuition Hike and Rising Costs
By Drooid · · How we work
Immediate Unrest in Liège
From October 5 through October 8 2026, students in the French-speaking city of Liège took to the streets to demand affordable education. Demonstrations began peacefully outside schools but quickly spread to the city centre, where protesters smashed windows, set garbage bins and scooters on fire, and clashed with police equipped with riot gear. The main train station was temporarily closed, and authorities warned shopkeepers to shut early because of “major unrest.”
Underlying Education Reforms
The protests are rooted in recent reforms by the French-language Community Government. Tuition fees for most university students rose from €835 to €1,194, and a new bus-pass scheme is slated to increase the youth pass from €12 to €384 on February 1 2027. Students also cite overcrowded classrooms, limited access to study materials, and broader budget cuts affecting public services.
Scale of Detentions and Property Damage
- Local media reported 107 arrests linked to property damage and arson.
- The Belga news agency cited 80 people detained and 27 formally arrested.
- Police in Liège announced 53 arrests (46 administrative, 7 judicial) on October 6.
- Academiamag noted 30 arrests (23 administrative, 7 judicial) and 18 injured officers.
- BrusselsSignal recorded a cumulative 194 detentions since October 1, including 114 minors, with 158 administrative releases and 36 judicial detentions.
- Police chief Jean-Marc Demelenne said the number of injured officers rose to 43 by October 8.
Official Responses
- Mayor Willy Demeyer (Liège) urged calm, stating that dialogue could be established so young people could express grievances peacefully. He later imposed a ban on gatherings of more than three people from 6 a.m. on October 8 until 11:59 p.m. on October 16.
- Interior Minister Bernard Quintin (MR) declared the riots “no longer spontaneous,” accusing an “Antifa-type movement” of manipulating minors to deliver violent political messages.
- Police Chief Jean-Marc Demelenne described a “continuous increase in violence” since October 1 and noted that many recent participants have no connection to the student movement.
- Defense Minister Theo Francken condemned the vandalism and called for the restoration of national service, expanding it beyond military duties to include health-care and education sectors.
Criticism of the Violence
Interior Minister Quintin’s allegation that an Antifa-type network is directing the unrest represents a direct counter-argument to the students’ claim of purely educational motives.
Conflicting Reports on Arrest Numbers
Sources differ markedly on the scale of detentions: Reuters cites 107 arrests, Al Jazeera reports 80 detained and 27 arrested, Belga notes 53 arrests on October 6, Academiamag mentions 30 arrests, and BrusselsSignal tallies 194 detentions since October 1. The variance reflects divergent reporting windows and classification of administrative versus judicial arrests.
Verbatim Quotes
- “When we saw nothing was changing without protests, we decided we would start,” — Amelia Di Salve
Future Measures
Mayor Demeyer’s gathering ban remains in force until October 16, with exemptions for families, minors with adults, and pre-approved events. The upcoming youth bus-pass hike on February 1 2027 is expected to further fuel student grievances. Authorities have pledged continued investigations, including CCTV analysis and forensic reviews, to identify individuals responsible for property destruction.