More than 80,000 protest in Brussels

  • 08/10/2015
A demonstrator is carried away by plain-clothes police during a march against government reforms and cost-cutting measures in Brussels (Reuters)
A demonstrator is carried away by plain-clothes police during a march against government reforms and cost-cutting measures in Brussels (Reuters)

Tens of thousands of Belgian protesters have taken to the streets of Brussels to rally against austerity measures introduced by the government of Prime Minister Charles Michel.

Brussels police said 81,000 demonstrators turned out while the main union organising Wednesday's protest put the number at 100,000, making it one of the biggest rallies of its kind in Belgium in recent years.

The demonstrations in the capital were peaceful so far, but Belgian television reported isolated clashes between dockers from the port city of Antwerp and the security forces.

Some unions went on strike on Wednesday and a national rail strike is planned for Friday.

The protests are the biggest in Belgium since November 2014, when riot police fired tear gas and water cannon in violent clashes during an anti-austerity demonstration by at least 100,000 people.

AFP