Brussels police clash with protesters over education costs

Several hundred mostly young protesters clashed with police in Brussels on Saturday, with rioters overturning a car and authorities using tear gas and water cannon. The unrest was partly inspired by demonstrations in neighboring France. Belgian student groups are protesting rising education costs and reforms they fear will reduce access to higher education. Demonstrators gathered in central Brussels wearing masks and chanting anti-fascist slogans, while Interior Minister Bernard Quintin vowed to use all necessary means to restore order. A separate protest occurred in Liège over the French-language education system, citing costs and study material access. The French unrest began last month over education funding before broadening into a wider movement on inequality, public spending, and living standards.