Riot police used water cannons against protesters in Brussels on Friday, 9 October, as students and trade unions rallied against government budget cuts affecting education and workers’ rights. Demonstrators raised concerns over rising tuition fees, overcrowded classrooms and limited study materials. The protests follow June clashes over education reforms, including a planned tuition fee increase for most students in Belgium’s French-speaking Community from €835 ($935.01) to €1,194 ($1,336.90).