Belgian police arrest 107 during student protests in Liege

Police in the Belgian city of Liege have arrested 107 people during student protests since early October, local authorities said Wednesday.

The arrests included 80 administrative arrests and 27 judicial arrests, police said, as cited by Belga news agency.

On Tuesday alone, police detained 53 people, including 46 administratively and seven judicially, after young people gathered in streets around the University of Liege.

Some protesters damaged property and set fires, according to police.

Students and pupils across Belgium’s French-speaking education system have staged protests for several days over the rising cost of higher education and public transport passes, as well as a shortage of places in some classes, overcrowded timetables and difficulties obtaining course materials.

On Wednesday, students gathered peacefully outside the Athenee Leonie de Waha school in Liege, according to local media.

The demonstrations are expected to continue throughout the day.

The movement in Belgium came as French high school students have been blocking access to and staging protests outside their schools for several days, demanding better learning conditions.