Student protests in Liège spark vandalism, a bus shelter fire and two arrests

Tensions erupted in Liège in the early afternoon near the Opéra and Saint-Michel island, prompting a heavy police presence. The situation escalated at Place de la République française, where protesters broke bus shelter windows and later set one shelter on fire at about 16:00. Police responded with a water cannon, and two demonstrators were arrested.

Throughout the day, many downtown shops and the Lemonnier passage shut their doors for safety. Earlier, students had marched from Saint-Lambert through the city centre, passing the Léonie de Waha school and the Guillemins station, while other incidents occurred in Hors-Château and nearby municipalities, including fires of scooters and a blocked school entrance. The protests are driven by opposition to recent education reforms, fee increases and teacher layoffs.