Belgian university students protest tuition fee hikes, education cuts

Students at the Universite Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) rallied on the university's Solbosch campus on Friday to protest rising tuition fees, education spending cuts and government reforms affecting higher education.

Carrying banners and chanting slogans, protesters called for free and high-quality education, while criticizing what they described as increasingly elitist education policies, according to the Brussels Times newspaper.

One of the main grievances was a roughly 43% increase in annual tuition fees.

According to figures from the Federation Wallonia-Brussels, the increase affects 58% of students in higher education.

Protesters also opposed changes to the Paysage decree, which regulates the organization of higher education, as well as education spending cuts in the Federation Wallonia-Brussels.

The demonstration also targeted the federal government's planned €34 billion ($37.6 billion) in military investments by 2034, with students drawing a contrast between military spending and funding for education.

One of the campus entrances was decorated with military camouflage and labeled "elitist education + war," while another promoted the message of "free, high-quality education."

The demonstrators also called on students and education trade unions to join a planned protest on Nov. 17, coinciding with International Students' Day.

They also expressed support for a Nov. 20 day of action against voluntary military service, organized by the Service for Peace platform.