It had started as a peaceful protest. By the end, streets in Brussels were alight. The rage was aimed at Belgium’s new centre-right government and its planned austerity measures.<br /><br />A proposed rise in the retirement age, a freeze in wages and public service cuts to meet EU targets brought an estimated 120,000 onto the streets of the capital.<br /><br />In what was one of Belgium’s biggest labour demonstrations since World War Two, cobblestones and smoke flares were hurled at police who responded with water cannon and pepper spray.<br /><br />A police spokesman refused to say how many were injured or the number of people detained. One media source said at least 14 people were injured.<br /><br />Police eventually cleared the area with a charge late on Thursday afternoon.<br /><br />The march marked the start of a month-long campaign of protests which are set to end with a nationwide strike on December 15.<br /><br />The government has opened talks with trade union leaders.
