Demonstrations in French-speaking Belgium entered a third day. Police reported dozens of arrests and 18 officers slightly injured, while children in Hannut were hurt by sparks from a pyrotechnic device.
Protests by Belgian high-school students against announced austerity measures continued for a third day on Monday. Demonstrations spread to several cities in the French-speaking part of the country, including Mons and Charleroi. A police source in Liège counted about 1,000 protesters there, divided into small, mobile groups moving from school to school.
The situation deteriorated in the afternoon as some demonstrators attacked bus stops and set rubbish bins on fire. Police used tear gas and water cannon in response to objects, paving stones and barricades thrown at them. Local police said dozens were detained in Liège and 18 officers sustained minor injuries. Large retailers closed in a central square where much of the damage was reported.
During a demonstration in Hannut, a pyrotechnic device landed in the courtyard of an elementary school. About 15 children were hurt by sparks and treated by paramedics, the Belga news agency reported. AFP, citing local police, and Agerpres also reported on the protests.