'Yellow nightmare' in Brussels

By Yusuf Hatip

BRUSSELS (AA) - Belgian capital Brussels witnessed violent protests on Saturday as the yellow vests hit the street.

Gathering in Brussels' Arts-Loi, the crowd's protests turned violent as at least 1,000 yellow vests damaged traffic signs and signals, waste bins and clashed with police.

In Brussels, tensions between the Belgian police and yellow vests mounted as security forces used water cannons and pepper spray on almost 1,000 protesters in Arts-Loi.

The protesters, who were dissolved into nearby alleys after police's intervention, were chased by the security forces.

Yellow vests -- gathered at Cinquantenaire Park -- in midday wanted to walk towards Schuman Roundabout, where there are EU offices but police blocked them.

A group of protesters, who came from Belgian cities near Brussels, joined the crowd in Arts-Loi and walked towards the European Parliament this time.

The police prevented them from reaching the European Parliament and repelled them by pepper spray and they were forced to return to Arts-Loi.

In Arts-Loi, yellow vests blocked the roads, threw stun grenades, lighted flares and damaged the environment.

In addition, the protesters urged Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel to resign and threw many objects to the police.

Police are making operations in Brussels' various spots as the arrest figure is expected to go up.

Brussels police previously announced that some 100 people had been arrested.

Thousands of yellow vest protesters have been gathering in major French cities including Paris since Nov. 17 to protest French President Emmanuel Macron's controversial fuel tax hikes and the deteriorating economic situation in France but this movement spread to Belgium and Netherlands in a short time.

Fuel prices in France have risen more than 20 percent this year.