Tens of thousands of trade unionists took part in demonstrations in cities across the country against pension reform of the government. In Brussels, police counted 4,000 protesters, while a VRTNews reporter at the demonstration estimated that about 5,000 protesters took part.
Depending on who you believe this is either twice or three times the number that had been expected to take part in Antwerp. In Ghent the police counted 5,000 demonstrators, while the unions says that there were only 4,000. The opposite was true in Hasselt (Limburg) there were 5,000 demonstrators according to the unions. In Leuven (Flemish Brabant just a few hundred protesters took part.
The demonstrations were in protest at the failure to come up with a plan that would allow people in so-called “demanding professions” to retire earlier than 66 (from 2025) or 67 (from 2030).
