BRUSSELS — BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgian police fired tear gas 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 protest crippled traffic in the heart of the Belgian capital, as well as major roads, choking off transportation hubs.

Belgium’s three major trade unions organized the protest and nationwide strikes against cuts to the pension and healthcare systems proposed by De Wever, who had vowed to slash spending to try and overcome the country’s economic challenges.

Organizers estimated more than 150,000 joined the demonstration, while the police put the crowd at 80,000. The Federal Planning Office of Belgium expects Belgium’s already steep budget deficit to rise to 6.5% of GDP by 2030.

De Wever, a Flemish nationalist, took office in February.

—

Associated Press writer Sam McNeil in Brussels contributed to this report.