Brussels police uses political correct Hippie - coloured water canons which have a de-escalating effect on angry protestors. They are painted white ( colour of peace) and sport a multiculti rainbow design (of hope). They blend perfectly in with the peace flags of the crowds. Here is some action in front of the US bunker embassy in Brussels.

"The USA appears destined by fate to plague America with misery in the name of liberty." Simon Bolivar, Caracas, 1819

I think your office colleagues were right. The media, as I and others have said several times now, have made a big play of all this. In fact there were very big peaceful demonstrations, and very small groups who went in for the fighting. The government may have tried, a week ago, to play this card too -- look at the dreadful students busting up the Sorbonne (Gilles de Robien, Minister of Education, looking very père sévère: "This is what happens when we allow...") -- but it hasn't worked with the French who support the student movement 63%. So now the gov't has cooled it. Not so the media.

Politically, where it's at now is hard to judge. The unions have moved in with the students. They have given the gov't an ultimatum, withdraw the CPE project before I don't recall which day, Thursday maybe. Villepin says he won't budge. I have no idea which way it will go. Except that, in the past, attempts at "reform" by the authoritarian high road have always failed in France.