Several arrested in Belgium as student protests continue in Liege

Student protests continued Friday in Belgium's Liege region, with hundreds of young people gathering at schools and several locations across the province as police made multiple arrests.

In Herstal, a municipality in Liege province, police made 18 administrative arrests after officers intervened against what Mayor Frederic Daerden described as “threatening and violent individuals,” according to broadcaster RTBF.

In Liege, several groups of students gathered in the city center, with police saying between 500 and 600 demonstrators passed by several schools during the morning.

Authorities reported several incidents during the demonstrations, including attempts to enter schools, overturned street furniture and objects thrown at school buildings.

Several businesses were also damaged, while several scooters were set on fire, according to police.

Officers were also pelted with stones near a secondary school as they attempted to disperse demonstrators.

Police said three people had been arrested and one person placed under administrative detention in Liege as of midday.

The protests also extended to higher education institutions, with hundreds of students gathering outside Helmo Esas university college.

Students said they were protesting education reforms and measures affecting their daily lives, including increased public transportation costs.

The latest demonstrations followed incidents on Thursday that prompted numerous secondary schools in Liege to close as a precaution.

The movement in Belgium came as French high school students have been blocking access to and staging protests outside their schools for several days, demanding better learning conditions.