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Europe is reeling under a fresh wave of protests as people march over the rising cost of living, pensions, housing, education, corruption and opposition to war. Groups across France, Albania, Italy, Spain and Portugal have held demonstrations in multiple cities, leading to clashes between protesters and police.
According to Euronews, authorities across several European capitals stepped up security measures following violence during earlier demonstrations, deploying large numbers of police personnel and, in some areas, soldiers. In France, nearly 1,000 people were arrested during Saturday's protests, with Interior Minister Laurent Nuez saying the figure was likely to increase. The French government said 410,000 protesters had taken to the streets across the country, while organisers put the figure at nearly 800,000. According to France 24, authorities announced that the demonstration in Paris had been completely dispersed along the Cours de Vincennes following clashes between protesters and law enforcement personnel. "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 rioters" had been present towards the end of the demonstration. Police used water cannons and tear gas grenades after projectiles were thrown at them. "As I speak to you, we are at nearly 1,000 arrests," Nunez said during a press briefing, adding, "I believe this figure will increase significantly." He noted that 385 arrests had been made by the same time the previous Saturday, which had witnessed violence and looting. Meanwhile, French left-wing leader and presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon criticised the police response to the demonstrations in Paris. In a post on X, Melenchon said, "In Paris, to ruin the day and unwind, the so-called forces of law and order gas and fire into the crowd at the back of the procession, all in a bid to get footage for the domestic news channels that spent the whole week airing the images that spurred the Trappes killer. Nonstop shame." In another post, he alleged that the media coverage and policing were being used to portray the protest movement negatively. "It continues with the policing of minds through the televisions of power. Tonight, staging of the tails of the procession to spew hatred against the popular movement. Without a single image of the masses in peaceful action," he said. "Behind every police officer, a compliant camera. And even congratulations for a setup deliberately designed to provoke chaos. And which has yet again mutilated two people," Melenchon added, urging people to "Turn off the televisions!" and "Form your own opinion without a guardian." US President Donald Trump also commented on the situation in France during a campaign rally in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday (local time). "France is right now burning down because it opens its borders to people who hate it. These are people who hate it. They hate France. They hate the people of France. They move there. They don't like the buildings. They don't like the monuments. They don't like the paintings. They don't like anything about France. And you know what you do with those people? Never let them come into your country. And that's what we're doing," Trump said. In Albania, thousands of people gathered in the capital, Tirana, on Saturday for another anti-government protest. Police fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators as clashes continued amid growing opposition involving students, artists and political groups. According to Euronews, government buildings were attacked, and dozens of demonstrators were detained. Authorities said more than 300 protesters and police personnel had been injured. In Italy, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Milan, Rome, Turin, Naples, Bologna and Florence, with some protesters throwing bottles, stones and firecrackers. Italian police said they had made nine arrests and briefly detained 371 people during demonstrations in eight cities on Saturday. Of those taken to police stations, 110 were minors, the police statement added. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni thanked law enforcement personnel for maintaining public order and protecting the right to peaceful protest despite attempts by what she described as "violent individuals" to provoke clashes. In a post on X, Meloni said, "I want to thank the women and men of the Law Enforcement Agencies who, even today, in Italy's squares, have worked to ensure the safety of citizens and the right to peaceful demonstration, despite the attempts by some violent individuals to provoke clashes and disorder." She also thanked Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, prefects, questors and others involved in coordinating security operations. "The right to demonstrate must always be guaranteed, just as the right of citizens to live their cities in safety must be," Meloni wrote. She said measures approved by the Council of Ministers were intended to strengthen the authorities' ability to prevent violence and maintain public safety. "Because safety must be guaranteed to everyone. To those who want to demonstrate peacefully, to those who work, and to those who want to live their city without fear. Without leaving room for those who seek only confrontation and violence," she added. In Spain, demonstrators in Madrid called for pension increases to be linked to actual inflation, higher minimum pensions in line with the minimum wage, measures to close the gender pension gap and safeguards against the privatisation of the public pension system. In Portugal, affordable housing emerged as a central demand, with demonstrators taking to the streets amid concerns over housing costs. (ANI)
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