Protests sweep Europe as thousands take to streets across countries
Thousands of people took to the streets across Europe over the weekend to protest against rising living costs, housing affordability, pensions, education standards, alleged corruption and war, with demonstrations in several countries leading to clashes with police and tighter security measures.France, Albania, Italy, Spain and Portugal witnessed rallies on Saturday, with demonstrators raising demands ranging from action against government corruption and investment in education to protection of public pensions and access to affordable housing.
Authorities deployed additional police personnel and, in some areas, soldiers after violence during earlier demonstrations. While several rallies remained peaceful, others saw protesters throw projectiles at police, set fires and damage property.
France sees arrests as protests turn violent
In France, nearly 1,000 people had been arrested during Saturday's demonstrations, interior minister Laurent Nuñez said, adding that the figure was likely to rise further.
The government estimated that 410,000 people had taken part in protests nationwide, while organisers put the turnout at nearly 800,000.
Authorities in Paris announced that the demonstration along Cours de Vincennes had been dispersed following clashes between protesters and law enforcement personnel, France 24 reported.
Police used water cannons and tear gas after projectiles were thrown at officers."A Gendarmerie helicopter has been deployed to support ground units and locate any remaining groups of rioters," the prefectural police said, adding that more than 500 people described as rioters had been present towards the end of the demonstration.
French left-wing leader and presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon criticised the police response, accusing officers of using tear gas and firing into the crowd at the back of the procession.
He also alleged that media coverage was presenting the protest movement negatively.US President Donald Trump also commented on the unrest during a campaign rally in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, blaming France's immigration policies for the situation.
see clashes with riot police
In Albania, thousands of people gathered in the capital, Tirana, for another anti-government demonstration, with protests also spreading to other cities.Riot police used tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators who threw rocks at officers and started a fire at the entrance to the agriculture ministry, Reuters reported.
Visuals showed protesters firing streams of firework rockets towards riot police and fireworks exploding.
Protesters also targeted government buildings and banks, smashed shop windows and pulled up paving stones to throw at police.The student-led demonstrations have been fuelled by anger over alleged government corruption, unemployment and poor education standards.High school and university students have demanded lower tuition fees, greater state investment in education and action against corruption in the education system.
Some have joined a wider movement calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.The unrest follows months of largely peaceful summer protests against a luxury coastal development backed by US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.Authorities deployed around 2,500 police officers in Tirana on Saturday. Protesters had hurled rocks, flares, firebombs and fireworks at police over the preceding week, while authorities said more than 300 protesters and police personnel had been injured.
Italy deploys soldiers amid renewed demonstrations
Thousands of young people marched in Milan, Rome, Turin, Naples, Bologna and Florence, with demonstrations focusing on a range of social and political concerns. Some protesters threw bottles, stones and firecrackers.Italian police said nine people had been arrested and 371 briefly detained during demonstrations in eight cities on Saturday. Of those taken to police stations, 110 were minors.
In Milan, the march remained peaceful as authorities deployed soldiers and police personnel and several luxury shops boarded up their windows.
Most shops had reopened by late afternoon.Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced that an additional 500 soldiers would be sent to Milan, alongside tougher penalties for minors involved in violence. Hundreds of soldiers were already stationed in the city, supporting around 5,000 police and other security personnel.
Meloni thanked law enforcement personnel for protecting public safety and the right to peaceful protest."The right to demonstrate must always be guaranteed, just as the right of citizens to live their cities in safety must be," she wrote in a post on X.In Rome, a small group of protesters tried to force their way into the Colosseum but were ushered out by guards.A separate anti-war march briefly clashed with police near Piazza della Repubblica, with demonstrators retreating after officers deployed a water cannon, news agency AP reported.
The latest demonstrations followed violent clashes and looting during protests the previous weekend. In Milan, shops in the fashion district, including luxury boutiques, had boarded up their windows in anticipation of renewed unrest.
Spain rallies focus on pensions and housing
In Madrid, thousands of retirees and other demonstrators marched to demand protection for the public pension system and increases linked to actual inflation.Protesters called for higher minimum pensions in line with the minimum wage, measures to narrow the gender pension gap and safeguards against the privatisation of public pensions.
As per reports, thereChaos on the streets was captured in several viral videos on social media.
The demonstrations came ahead of a snap election next month. Spain's governing Socialist Party has criticised the conservative opposition Popular Party over proposals it says could open the door to privatising public pensions.
Housing affordability has also been a source of discontent in Spain, where rental and home prices have risen in recent years beyond what many people can afford.
Lisbon housing protest camp cleared by police
In Portugal, affordable housing was a central demand as thousands marched through Lisbon on Saturday. Protesters opposed rising rents and living costs, arguing that housing had become increasingly difficult to afford, particularly for younger people.After the march, demonstrators pitched more than 100 tents in Rossio Square. Police moved in shortly after 2 am on Sunday to clear the encampment, charging protesters and making several arrests.
Minor injuries were reported, although figures were not immediately available, Reuters reported.Hundreds had gathered at the site to protect the camp after police dismantled a similar encampment on Tuesday."We have an obligation to fight for what we believe in," said Vitor Gomes, a 21-year-old multimedia communications student, citing housing speculation, concentrated wealth and rising inequality as reasons for his pessimism about the future.
Protesters called on the government to scrap a bill that would make evictions easier and remove rent caps on new leases. The legislation had passed its first parliamentary reading, Reuters reported.Portugal is facing a severe housing affordability crisis, with house prices more than doubling since 2017 and rents for new leases nearly doubling over the same period. The Bank of Portugal estimates that the country faces a shortfall of 300,000 homes.The protests across Europe reflected a broad range of demands, from education and corruption to pensions and housing, while clashes in several cities prompted authorities to strengthen security and step up efforts to prevent further violence.