BRUSSELS — Belgian police used tear gas and a water cannon in an attempt to disperse tens of thousands of people who flooded Brussels on Tuesday to protest Prime Minister Bart De Wever's proposed austerity measures.

Minor scuffles broke out between police and protesters, some of whom played drums and horns and set off flares and smoke bombs, while chanting against cuts to social welfare programs. The unusually large protest crippled traffic in the heart of the Belgian capital, blocking major roads. Strikes led to most flights being canceled at Brussels' airport.

Organizers estimated more than 150,000 people joined the demonstration, while the police put the crowd at 80,000.

Police vehicles chasing protesters were seen to smash up bicycles. Officers out of uniform but identified by red a

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