Threatened Audi plant closure sparks broad Brussels protest

Thousands of workers brought chaos to Brussels, setting off firecrackers and blocking streets near the European Parliament, in a demonstration to show solidarity with employees from an Audi car factory facing possible closure.

Over 5,000 protesters from across Belgium, and as far away as the Czech Republic, gathered at Brussels' North train station before marching toward the parliament, brandishing placards in support of Audi and calling for an end to Chinese "dumping" of industrial products.

Unions called a national strike, hampering public transport.

A large number of Audi's 3,000 workers — 90 percent of whom are at risk of losing their jobs in the next year — were leading the march on Sept. 16 in a haze of green and pink smoke — the colors of the main trade unions.

Police said the demonstration was peaceful.

Union officials pointed to a wider threat to industry.

"We also want to send a strong signal to European authorities, which are making things difficult for Belgian industry, but also for European industry. The manufacturing industry is mainly migrating away from our countries," said Patrick Van Belle, chief official of the Socialist union at Audi.

Audi parent Volkswagen Group said in July it was considering closing the Brussels site due to low demand for the Q8 E-Tron, the plant's only model.

The march is the latest sign of growing fears that key European industries will be lost as the continent leads the world in the climate transition and is undercut from cheaper competitors abroad.

Audi’s factory in Brussels’ neighborhood of Forest symbolizes those fears by showing that even a facility manufacturing exclusively electric vehicles is not safe.

One of the Audi workers, Katie Vanden Eycken, said she was there to save her job.

"It's not nice that they have been stalling us for so long. Closed, not closed, closed, not closed. Wage, no wage. It’s not nice you know. I hope something will come out of it," she said.

"We are angry," said Aaron Focon, wearing a t-shirt in support of his father who worked at the Audi factory for 34 years and is now facing the prospect of losing his job. "It's not normal. The government must wake up and do something."

Reuters contributed to this report