Hundreds of students took to the streets of Liege in eastern Belgium. They were protesting over education costs.

The protests were inspired in part by the student unrest in neighbouring France.

Local media reported 107 arrests in recent days, citing the Belga news agency.

The arrests were linked to offences including property damage and arson. Local authorities could not immediately be reached to confirm.

Students cited rising education costs, overcrowded classrooms and difficulty accessing study materials.

Some held signs reading: "It's a mess, we are fighting for a right! Not a privilege!"

The unrest follows June clashes in Brussels over education reforms. These included a tuition increase for most students in Belgium's French-speaking Community to 1,194 euros from 835 euros.

Belgium's BE-Alert warning system advised shopkeepers to close early on Thursday.

Liege's main train station was temporarily closed. Police urged people to avoid the city centre.

Students told Reuters they were in touch with their French counterparts. Le Monde reported a fourth day of high-school protests in French-speaking Belgium.