Protests in Brussels turn tense after peaceful morning gathering, Liege remains calm

By Seyma Erkul Dayanc

ISTANBUL (AA) - Demonstrations in Brussels and Liege in Belgium began peacefully on Saturday, but tensions later rose in the capital as police used pepper spray and demonstrators erected a barricade, according to Belgian public broadcaster RTBF.

Around 300 people gathered at Mont des Arts in central Brussels around noon, responding to calls from several organizations, including Front des Meres, Ecole en Lutte and Jeunesse Organisee et Combative.

The demonstrators denounced alleged police violence and reforms by the federal government.

The gathering was authorized, but a spontaneous march toward the Marolles district and Brussels-South railway station was not.

At around 2 pm local time (1200GMT), a number of young people crossed a police cordon, while officers deployed pepper spray in Chaussee de Forest in the Saint-Gilles district.

Near Porte de Hal, demonstrators erected a barricade using shared electric scooters, bicycles, road signs and construction materials.

The developments came amid false calls for demonstrations circulating on TikTok and Instagram for several days, using posters generated by AI.

The situation remained calm during the morning at several locations named in the calls. As a precautionary measure, some shops in central Brussels closed their doors and boarded up their windows.

The situation in Liege remained calm.

Şeyma Erkul Dayanç