Belgian police fire tear gas at protesters amid clashes

Summary

Belgian police fired tear gas at protesters amid clashes, according to Le Monde. Le Monde reports that high school students have protested in recent weeks against higher university registration fees and that Interior Minister Bernard Quintin blamed the trouble on organized violence; Euronews reports that on Saturday he called the situation “pure and simple violence,” saying it was no longer simply a protest.

Timeline

1. Le Monde

   17 Oct 2026, 17:24 UTCSource ↗

   Le Monde reports that Belgian police fired tear gas at protesters and that Interior Minister Bernard Quintin blamed the trouble on organized violence, amid high school students’ recent protests against higher university registration fees.

2. Euronews

   17 Oct 2026, 17:29 UTCSource ↗

   Euronews reports that on Saturday Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said the situation was no longer simply a protest, calling it “pure and simple violence.”