A nationwide general strike in Belgium on Tuesday forced the grounding of most flights at the country’s two main airports and caused major disruptions to public transport across Brussels .

About 80,000 people demonstrated between Brussels’ Gare du Nord and Gare du Midi train stations, crossing the entire city centre, Brussels police estimated. A few dozen people were detained by police following incidents that included fires set on the capital’s big boulevards.

The strike was the latest in a series of protests this year against the government’s proposals to reform pensions and the labour market.

All flights due to depart from Brussels International Airport and about half of those scheduled to land were cancelled as staff from the security firm providing X-ray screening walked out on

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