Defying Court Order, Picket Line Disrupts School in Liège

Despite a court order imposing fines of €1,000 per infraction, a filtering picket line maintained by teachers from other schools severely disrupted the resumption of classes on Monday, June 15, at Collège Sainte-Véronique in Liège, a secondary school of approximately 2,200 students. Between 200 and 300 students accompanied by their teachers managed to cross the picket line and enter the school, as bailiffs were present to document the situation, according to RTBF.

Background: A Court Order and a Divided School

The disruption comes days after five parents of Sainte-Véronique students, represented by lawyer Me Hervé Deckers, obtained an order from the Liège Tribunal of First Instance on June 10 requiring the lifting of all picket lines blocking access to the school. The order, which runs until July 3 — the end of the school year — was intended to allow both the resumption of classes and the smooth administration of end-of-year certificative exams.

“What we obtained is an order from the president of the court of first instance that actually prohibits people in front of the school from preventing access for teachers and students, under penalty of €1,000 per infraction,” Deckers told RTBF on June 11. “This order runs until July 3, i.e., until the end of the school year, to allow not only the resumption of classes but also the smooth running of exams.”

A crucial detail in the case is that Sainte-Véronique’s own teachers had voted to resume work. The picket line was maintained by teachers from other schools who came to the campus to continue their protest — a factor that proved decisive in the parents’ successful court action.

School director Mathias Tyssen had called for calm ahead of Monday’s planned return, expressing hope that external protesters would respect both the school’s democratic decision and the court ruling. “I hope that those who oppose the minister’s decree will not come to oppose the return of students and teachers who have decided to go back to school,” he said.

Broader Context: The Teacher Strike Movement

The Sainte-Véronique standoff is part of a much larger wave of teacher protests across the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (the French-speaking Community of Belgium). The catalyst is the décret-programme, an omnibus budget bill passed by the MR-Engagés government on June 5 after a 14-hour marathon parliamentary session, as reported by La Libre.

The austerity plan, targeting approximately €500 million in savings by 2029 on a €15 billion budget, includes a 10% increase in teaching hours for secondary upper-level teachers without salary compensation, less generous sick leave for tenured teachers, tighter end-of-career arrangements, and tuition fee increases to €1,194 for 58% of higher education students.

The bill passed with majority votes only (MR-Engagés), with the entire opposition (PS, PTB, Ecolo) voting against. The debate was marked by heated exchanges, procedural controversies, and large protests outside the parliament building involving thousands of teachers and students. Notably, MP Mathilde Vandorpe (Les Engagés) abstained in protest against the measures.

Legal Precedent and Escalation

According to DHNet/La Dernière Heure, this case marks a “first in Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles” — parents taking legal action to force the lifting of teacher picket lines. The outlet notes that other parents are “ready to introduce the same request before the court” if their children’s schools remain blocked, suggesting the Sainte-Véronique case could create a legal precedent.

The fact that the picket line persisted on Monday despite the court order and the presence of bailiffs demonstrates the depth of the conflict. Teachers from other schools are willing to risk €1,000 fines to maintain their protest, signaling a high level of determination and anger over the décret-programme.

What’s Next

The court order remains in effect until July 3, with bailiffs on standby to enforce it. Other parents may file similar lawsuits for other schools facing blockades. Meanwhile, the broader teacher strike movement continues, and the fate of end-of-year certificative exams (CEB, CE1D, CESS) remains a point of contention, with unions calling for their cancellation and Education Minister Valérie Glatigny refusing.

The Sainte-Véronique case has become a symbol of the escalating conflict between the MR-Engagés government’s austerity agenda and a mobilized education sector determined to resist it.