Liège students block firefighters from putting out street fires
Protesting pupils in Liège stopped firefighters reaching bin and firework fires at two squares, as weeks of Belgian and French school protests continued.
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Incidents in this story
- Place Saint-Lambert, Liège · Monday around 12:15: Students block firefighters at Place de la République Française/Saint-Lambert
- Place Saint-Barthélemy, Liège · Monday, earlier: Fires and projectiles target firefighters at Place Saint-Barthélemy
Firefighters in Liège were blocked from tackling fires set by protesting pupils in the city centre on Monday, Belgian newspaper La Libre reported.
Crowds of masked students gathered between Place de la République Française and Place Saint-Lambert after setting fire to a bin and a scooter outside a restaurant, feeding the flames with more bins and fireworks, La Libre said. When firefighters arrived, they were jeered, then physically pushed back and targeted by some protesters, and withdrew without putting out the fire, to applause from the crowd, according to the paper.
Earlier the same day, at Place Saint-Barthélemy, protesters had set fire to two municipal bins, benches and scooters, La Libre reported. Firefighters who arrived there were also targeted with projectiles, including fireworks and wooden slats, thrown to keep the fire burning.
The pupils have been gathering in Liège for several days to protest over a lack of funding for education, including rises in tuition fees and bus fares, La Libre said, in a movement that echoes anger among French secondary school pupils.
What we know
- 1 outlet · La Libre Protesting pupils in Liège blocked firefighters from reaching fires they had set at Place de la République Française/Saint-Lambert and at Place Saint-Barthélemy on Monday, La Libre reported.
- 1 outlet · La Libre Firefighters were jeered, pushed back and targeted by some protesters at both locations, and withdrew from one fire without extinguishing it.
- 1 outlet · La Libre The protests, over education funding including tuition and bus-fare rises, have continued in Liège for several days.
Not yet confirmed
- Unconfirmed Belgian outlets Gazet van Antwerpen and Het Nieuwsblad reported that fifteen children were injured in a firework explosion linked to the protest; this is not confirmed by official sources.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
The Liège unrest follows weeks of similar pupil protests over school funding and conditions in France, which have spread to university campuses and, briefly, to schools in Belgium. Protesters obstructing firefighters raises its own safety risk, beyond the property damage, if a fire is allowed to spread uncontrolled in a city centre.
Sources
Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 1 countries.
- La Libre: Liège : les élèves empêchent les pompiers d’intervenir sur un incendie
- Gazet van Antwerpen: Vijftien kinderen gewond na ontploffing van vuurwerk: scholierenprotest in Luik loopt uit de hand
- Het Nieuwsblad: Vijftien kinderen gewond na ontploffing van vuurwerk: scholierenprotest in Luik loopt uit de hand
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What happened in Liège?
- Protesting pupils blocked firefighters from reaching fires they had set at two city-centre squares on Monday, Belgian newspaper La Libre reported.
- Was anyone hurt?
- No injuries are officially confirmed; two Belgian outlets reported fifteen children hurt in a firework explosion, but this has not been verified.
- Why are the pupils protesting?
- They are demonstrating against a lack of funding for education, including higher tuition and bus fares, echoing protests among French pupils.
This article was written with AI assistance from 3 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.