Police Deploy Water Cannons, Tear Gas During BLM Riots in Belgium's Liege - Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in the Belgian city of Liege on Saturday escalated into riots, with police using water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters, the national media reported.

According to the RTBF public broadcaster, the BLM rally started in downtown Liege to protest the recent brutal arrest of a young woman of African descent.

The peaceful demonstration soon escalated into violent clashes with law enforcement officers. By 4.00 p.m. (15:00 GMT), protesters were throwing stones at the police station and police cars. Videos circulating online show rioters smashing shop windows and throwing various objects at the police.

🇧🇪 Liege

Tüntet a helyi BLM, mert a rendőrök intézkedés közben bántalmaztak egy fekete nőt pic.twitter.com/iRhq7tfXD1

— Bede Zsolt (@BedeZsolt2) March 13, 2021

By 4:45 p.m., police had deployed water cannons and, later, tear gas to disperse the crowds. According to RTBF, the riots started to wane by evening.