Police arrest 76 during student protests in Liège

Dozens of protesters moved past several secondary schools in Liège on Tuesday as unrest linked to education demonstrations returned to the Belgian city. A group of young people smashed windows and set a bin on fire, according to ANP/BELGA [1].

Riot police used a water cannon to disperse the group, which then spread to other parts of the city, the agency reported. Fireworks were set off, some shops closed and traffic in central Liège was disrupted.

The unrest followed disturbances on Monday, when at least 30 people were detained in Liège in connection with the protests, according to ANP/BELGA.

The demonstrations concern French-language education in Belgium, ANP/BELGA reported. The agency did not specify what changes the protesters in Liège were seeking [1].

Update

Police have arrested 76 people during student protests in the Belgian city of Liège, according to the ANP/BELGA news agencies. [2]

The agencies said protests involving school pupils and students had turned into riots in recent days. A ban on gatherings has been in force in Liège since Thursday morning. [2]

In neighbouring France, more than 500 people were arrested at education protests on Thursday, the same report said. Pupils and students there have blocked schools for a third consecutive week. Those arrests are separate from the Liège figure. [2]

Liège authorities said the situation was calm on Thursday evening, although police were due to remain active in the city centre overnight. [2]