During a student demonstration in Liège on Thursday, October 8, a fairground worker fired an air rifle toward the procession, lightly injuring two people, according to reports from Blick. The incident unfolded near the city’s October Fair as high school and university students marched against educational reforms.
Student Protests and Fairground Tensions in Liège
The confrontation took place in the morning hours as demonstrators from the University of Liège and various higher education institutions moved through the city streets. Their planned route brought them directly past the October Fair grounds. Ahead of the march, local fairground operators had closed down attractions and positioned themselves near the venue entrances. Some individuals carried objects such as baseball bats and iron bars to secure the fair perimeter, as young protesters approached the area.
Two young participants sustained minor injuries from the pellet gun shots. Despite being struck, both individuals were able to continue walking with the rest of the demonstration.
Liège Bans Public Gatherings After Shooting Incident
Liège Mayor Willy Demeyer condemned the escalation immediately, stating that individuals cannot take matters into their own hands. Following the shooting incident, local authorities implemented strict emergency measures across the municipal territory. Officials instituted a ban on public gatherings of more than three people starting Thursday at 6:00 AM local time and requested reinforcements from the forces of order to secure the area.
The student mobilization in Belgium mirrors concurrent high school walkouts in France, though the underlying grievances differ between the two nations. Belgian protesters are primarily objecting to budget cuts affecting free school meals and basic educational supplies. Students are also protesting rising university registration fees—locally known as the minerval—which RFI reports are scheduled to climb to 1,200 euros for most future undergraduates, an increase of roughly 400 euros.
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