Thousands of Belgians have marched to protest a language-based political deadlock that has prevented a new government from taking office, five months after elections.
An estimated 35,000 people turned out in Brussels Sunday to show support for Belgium's unity amid fears the country could split along the lines of its Dutch-speaking and French-speaking regions.
The issue of more self-rule for those regions has deadlocked attempts to form a coalition government since general elections in June. Belgium is still being governed by a caretaker administration.
Parties representing Belgium's Dutch-speaking Flanders region want more autonomy or even independence for the more properous north. Their counterparts from the less prosperous French-speaking region of Wallonia in the south say unity must be preserved.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.