Belgium passed a law making tuition expensive while students stormed parliament (1 photo + 4 videos)
Category: Interesting photo stories, PEGI 0+
Today, 02:26
In the Belgian capital, a peaceful rally of teachers and students turned into a full-blown militant protest, complete with barricades, water cannons, and tear gas. The riot was sparked by the authorities' attempt to save approximately €300-500 million on education. 
To achieve this, officials decided to pull a fast one: raise university fees by 35% (to €1,194 per year) and force school teachers to work two extra hours a week for free. Teachers and young people didn't appreciate this generosity and took to the streets to show who's in charge.
The level of madness reached a fever pitch right during the final vote of deputies. A crowd of protesters rammed the building of the French Community Parliament, attempting to break down the doors and disrupt the meeting.
Several activists managed to break through the public stands right into the meeting hall and unleashed anarchy. Security forces were forced to deploy riot police, set up barriers at the residence of Prime Minister Bar De Wever, and disperse the crowd with water cannons.
A classic European pogrom began in the center of Brussels. Enraged youths began smashing bus stops, smashing store windows, and building barricades out of rental bicycles and trash, which were then immediately set ablaze by exploding firecrackers. The city was mired in gridlock, police helicopters hovered over the center, and the streets were shrouded in smoke from flares.
The result of two days of confrontation: police brutally cleared the streets and carried out mass arrests, shoving the most active shop-window smashers into police vans. Despite the burning city and furious opposition protests, the ruling coalition of centrist and liberals finally pushed through the law and approved austerity measures. So, starting next school year, Belgian students will have to fork out more money, and teachers will have to get used to working overtime.
