100,000 workers protest Belgian labor reform

[Bosonic]

Source: AP

One of Belgium's biggest postwar labor demonstrations brought about 100,000 workers to the capital on Thursday to protest government free-market reforms and austerity measures that they claim undermine Belgium's vaunted welfare state.

For two hours, the demonstrators peacefully marched down the main thoroughfares of central Brussels to protest government policies that will raise the pension age, contain wages and cut into public services. Violence marred the end of the march, with police firing tear gas and the water cannon to break up incidents. No casualties were immediately reported.

"They are hitting the workers, the unemployed. They are not looking for money where it is, I mean, people with a lot of money," said Philippe Dubois, who came from the industrial rust belt of Liege.

The unexpectedly massive march opens a monthlong campaign by the trade unions against the business-friendly governing coalition and is to be capped with a nationwide strike on Dec. 15.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/thousands-workers-protest-belgian-labor-reform-26725755

[valerief]

1. I wonder if it's blacked out by the media there like our protests are blacked out here

in America.

[DFW]

4. Hardly

I have a lot of friends there, and am there once a week for work. Everybody warned me there would be total chaos in Brussels today and to stay away from Belgium today. As there is a strike of the German locomotive drivers on for four days, it's not like I had a choice anyway.

[valerief]

5. Wow, a free press? I wish we could have that in America. You have to be a billionaire to get

anything on the air here.

Good luck!

[DFW]

7. The Belgian press is anything but free

But demonstrations are not covered. However, when it comes to official corruption or "protected" sex offenders (look up Marc Dutroux), you're lucky if you can find a whimper anywhere in the country. For years, the Belgians used to say that robberies and street attacks were perpetrated by "Swedish" people, because the government forbade the press to mention it when the crimes were committed by Moroccan immigrants.

I wish I could tell you it's all chocolate and waffles over there, but it's anything but.

[candelista]

2. This is happening to the working class all over the world.

Belgian workers, like American workers, need a political party that represents their interests, instead of the interests of the 1%. Does the Democratic Party have that potential anymore?

[SoLeftIAmRight]

3. That is close to one percent of the population

Imagine 30 million Americans hitting the streets!

[DFW]

6. Their government is not business-friendly, only BIG-business friendly

To compensate for their turning a blind eye to big companies, they send out terror brigades of police/tax people who have orders to "come back with money," whether there is a violation or not, and they harass small businesses and shops to the point where many of them in Brussels and Antwerp are giving up. Metternich said in 1815, when France sneezes, all Europe catches cold. The French have been doing this for decades. Apparently the Belgians now think it's a fun thing to do, too.