Police, protesters clash in Brussels

Brussels, Oct. 10: Police and protesters clashed in Brussels on Friday as tens of thousands of people rallied in the Belgian capital against rising living costs and budget-tightening measures introduced by the government.

Dozens of protesters, many of them young, dressed in black and wearing masks, threw rocks and firecrackers at police at the central Brussels railway station, before setting several fires, one to a pile of city bikes and electric scooters.

Riot police responded with tear gas, water cannons and baton charges, pushing the protesters from area. Traffic and public transport across the city were disrupted. Police said that those "who caused the problems of public order are not linked" to the anti-austerity rally, which they said drew around 30,000 people.