Student riots plaguing France have spread to Belgium, where hundreds of hooded thugs are clashing with police.

The country’s French-speaking community have taken to the streets to protest swingeing cuts to Belgium’s education budget, as the government seeks to save at least €10billion over the coming years to reduce a high deficit.

Inspired in part by protests across the border in France, Belgian pupils have taken to the streets in recent days in several towns.

Police said as many as 30,000 demonstrators have flooded Brussels, an ‘unprecedented’ number, after they began arriving at around 9.30am local time today.

They threw cobblestones, bricks, glass bottles, fences and traffic signs at police. One cop was seen taking a samurai sword away from a protester.

These rioters were seen congregating around Brussels Central Station, which sits between both the European Parliament and the country’s legislature building.

Footage showed demonstrators running amok near the major railway hub. One clip showed masked and hooded figures throwing things into a fire as police stood by watching.

The gathered crowd was heard cheering and whooping as more things were thrown into the inferno.

Another clip showed a group of young people pushing a large dumpster towards a line of police, before tipping it over.

Rioters chucked pieces of wood, as well as a flare, at the gathered riot police who were armed with shields and batons.

The officers were seen retreating as protesters threw flashbangs and smoke grenades at them.

A third clip showed a lone masked rioter pointing fireworks at police, who responded in kind with a water cannon that sent him scurrying away.

Student rioters were joined by trade unionists who are pushing for the government to increase taxes on highest earners, rather than impose cuts in areas like health and hike VAT.

‘Things are getting worse at an ever-faster rate, people have had enough. Like the teachers, the pupils can also see that conditions are deteriorating,’ said union representative Luc Toussaint.

Belgium has seen repeated rounds of strikes in recent months against efforts by Prime Minister Bart De Wever to save ten billion euros over the next few years in a bid to reduce the country’s high deficit.

Belgium is mired in public debt, like its neighbours France and Italy.

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