The key facts

  • Student 'Anaïs' accused Liège police of racist insults and physical violence on October 5
  • Police: racist remarks are unacceptable, was unaware of the comments
  • 327 people detained after student protests, according to the municipality

Accusations against the police

A minor student from Liège, Belgium, speaking under the pseudonym Anaïs, accused police officers of racist insults and physical violence during student demonstrations against austerity measures in education. The state broadcaster RTBF reported this on Wednesday, October 21.

Course of events according to the student

According to Anaïs, on October 5 she, together with about ten other students, organized a blockade at her school in protest against education cuts, after which the group headed to the city center for a larger demonstration. According to her account, police officers, noticing the participants' foreign origin, surrounded them and subjected them to insults. 'They called us dirty Arabs and beat us with batons,' she told RTBF, adding that one officer made a derogatory remark about her Asian origin. According to her, police also called the protesters 'vandals' and 'thugs' and told them to 'go back to your country.' 'They are supposed to protect us, but in the end it turns against us,' the student noted.

Police response

Jadranka Lozina, a spokesperson for the Liège police zone, said she was not aware of the mentioned remarks, but stressed that any racist behavior by police officers is unacceptable. 'There is no place for racist remarks in police intervention, regardless of the circumstances,' she said.

Further actions and context

Anaïs said she decided not to file a complaint, doubting that legal action would lead to any meaningful result. Despite the incident, she intends to continue participating in demonstrations. According to the municipality of Liège, 327 people were detained in the city after the student demonstrations and the ensuing unrest.