Thousands of students, teachers, and civil society members protested in Brussels on Monday against planned education spending cuts, marking the second consecutive week of demonstrations.

Violence broke out when a small group of protesters damaged property and threw stones and firecrackers, prompting police to respond with tear gas and water cannons.

The protests were sparked by austerity measures proposed by the government of French Community of Belgium, including increased teaching hours and potential tuition fee hikes.

The demonstrations also reflected anger over police actions at earlier rallies, where officers used tear gas, water cannons, and batons, DPA International has reported.

Despite the clashes, the vast majority of the several thousand participants protested peacefully.