Cars Set on Fire Near Brussels South Station During Protests

Violence broke out near Brussels South Station on Monday as protests and a public-sector strike disrupted parts of the Belgian capital. Several vehicles were damaged, and a van was set on fire.

Police clashed with groups of young people around 1:40 p.m., using tear gas to disperse the crowd. A water cannon was also present, while officers remained in the area to restore order.

Other vehicles were damaged, and shared electric scooters and bicycles were also set on fire. Police said several groups of young people were still near the station, although the situation remained relatively calm elsewhere in Brussels.

The unrest came as Belgium’s socialist public-sector union, ACOD, launched a strike against federal government spending cuts. The 24-hour action began at 10 p.m. on Sunday and was expected to continue until Monday evening.

Public transport was among the services affected. Brussels public transport operator STIB-MIVB closed Clemenceau metro station on police orders because of the protests nearby. Metro Line 6 continued operating, but above-ground tram services near South Station remained suspended at the time of the report.

The disturbances followed unrest during a large union demonstration in Brussels on Friday, which attracted more than 30,000 participants. While the union march was peaceful, separate incidents involving young people led to property damage and clashes with police.

Authorities had increased their presence around Brussels’ main stations ahead of Monday’s demonstrations, amid concerns about further disturbances.