🇧🇪 BRUSSELS ERUPTS! Chaos in Brussels as Anti-Austerity Protests Turn Violent The unrest comes amid growing opposition to government austerity measures, education cuts, rising school costs, and proposed budget reforms. Students in Belgium have joined a wider wave of protests that has also gripped neighboring France. Tens of thousands have taken to the streets of Brussels today, with trade unions protesting government spending cuts and the rising cost of living.