Brussels protest: police use tear gas on youths

Riot police used water cannon and tear gas against youths in central Brussels on Friday during chaotic scenes on the sidelines of a workers' march against government austerity measures.

Police said about 30,000 people took part in the national strike. They said officers deployed water cannon and tear gas after young people on the edge of the protest targeted them with sticks and bottles.

“Several hundred youths gathered along with the demonstrators,” police said in a statement, adding that the atmosphere became more tense and there were “serious disturbances to public order”.

Police said the main trade union march went ahead peacefully. AFP journalists saw groups of youths, numbering hundreds in total, repeatedly facing off with police as tear gas filled the air.

High-school students from Belgium's French-speaking community have been protesting against education budget cuts, inspired partly by protests in France. Several days of demonstrations in Liege, described as the centre of the protests, descended into violence, with about 200 arrests and dozens of police officers wounded.

Friday's action was the latest in a series of strikes against Prime Minister Bart De Wever's efforts to save 10 billion euros, or $11.2 billion, over the next few years to reduce Belgium's deficit. De Wever is in talks with coalition partners seeking a deal on the cuts by October 13.

Trade unions want the government to raise taxes on the highest earners instead of making cuts in areas such as health and increasing VAT.