Masked men have disrupted talks on a severance plan for staff at an Audi factory that is being closed in Brussels

Police were forced to disperse protesters after riots erupted on Wednesday at a plant belonging to German carmaker Audi in the Belgian capital, Brussels, Reuters has reported.

Around 150 people, some of whom had masks on, breached the negotiating room during discussions on a severance plan between unions and the administration of the factory, which is being closed, an Audi spokeswoman told the agency.

They set off fireworks and prevented the participants of the talks from leaving the premises, she added.

Police intervened and forced the protesters to disperse, according to the spokeswoman, who said one union member had been slightly injured in the melee.

A video from the scene showed officers with batons and in full riot gear pushing the demonstrators, who were apparently employees of the plant.

Earlier this year, Audi, which is a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, announced that it will stop vehicle production at the facility in Brussels in March 2025.

The plant is now facing closure after failing to find new investors and Volkswagen could not find an alternative use for the site.

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Some 3,000 employees and several hundred subcontractors are at risk of losing their jobs.

In September, 5,000 people took to the streets of Brussels in solidarity with the workers.

”We are literally being eaten up and I do not know if we are in a position to do anything about it,” an Audi employee told Euronews at the time.

The EU’s automotive industry is facing multiple challenges amid high energy prices and other economic hurdles faced by the bloc. Competition from cheaper Chinese electric vehicles is also a concern.

Late last month, Volkswagen Group announced that it plans to close at least three plants in Germany and downsize its remaining factories. The move could mean thousands of job losses and entire departments being shut down or relocated abroad.