More than half a million people marched across France on Saturday as protests over rising living costs and deteriorating public services were accompanied by fires, looting and violent clashes with police in several cities. French authorities reported approximately 1,200 arrests and more than 150 injured police officers, although most demonstrators took part in peaceful marches.
The French mobilization was the largest of several separate protest movements across Europe on October 17. In Italy, violent confrontations erupted in Milan and other cities, while police used tear gas and water cannons against protesters in Belgium. Albania experienced another day of intense anti-government demonstrations, and tens of thousands of people marched in Portugal over housing costs and low wages.
France: Hundreds of Thousands March as Violence Hits Major Cities
France experienced the most extensive unrest, with demonstrations stretching from Paris and Lyon to Marseille, Bordeaux and Limoges.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez estimated that approximately 550,000 people participated in 110 marches nationwide. Organizers, including the CGT labor union, put the number at 800,000.
In Paris, confrontations broke out around Place de la République, where masked individuals threw projectiles at police, set vehicles and trash bins on fire, and damaged businesses. Officers responded with tear gas and water cannons.
The violence extended beyond the capital. In Limoges, the city hall was set ablaze. In Lyon, a fire broke out at the city’s tourist office, while in Marseille, protesters briefly forced their way into the entrance of city hall and several businesses were damaged.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu reported approximately 1,200 arrests and more than 150 police officers injured during the nationwide unrest. President Emmanuel Macron condemned attacks on public buildings, businesses and law enforcement, promising that those responsible would face prosecution.
The demonstrations brought together labor unions, students, workers and supporters of the Yellow Vest movement, which first emerged in 2018 in opposition to economic inequality and government policies.
The latest mobilization grew out of weeks of protests by high school students demanding more teachers, improved facilities and better educational conditions. Rising fuel prices, household expenses and concerns about public spending subsequently broadened the movement.
Police tactics have also come under scrutiny. Authorities opened an investigation after a protester lost a hand during clashes in Saint-Étienne. The circumstances of the injury, including reports that a police grenade may have been involved, have not been conclusively established.
The growing unrest comes as France approaches its 2027 presidential election, increasing pressure on Macron’s government amid disputes over economic policy and public services.
Italy: Violent Clashes in Milan, Bologna and Turin
Italy also experienced serious disturbances on Saturday, particularly in Milan, where a demonstration against rising living costs and war escalated into confrontations around Piazza del Duomo, the city’s central cathedral square.
Masked individuals threw stones, bottles and other objects at police, erected burning barricades and damaged shops. Security forces responded with tear gas and water cannons as clashes spread through parts of the city center.
According to Italian news agency ANSA, at least four police officers and approximately 20 demonstrators were injured in Milan. Around 50 people were detained, many of them minors.
The violence forced people to leave parts of the normally busy cathedral square and surrounding shopping district, where storefronts and vehicles were damaged.
Further confrontations were reported in Bologna, Turin and Bergamo. In Bologna, police deployed water cannons after protesters threw objects at officers. Seven arrests were reported there.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence, stressing that the right to demonstrate did not justify attacks on cities or police officers.
A separate large demonstration took place in Rome, where the CGIL labor union rallied against government economic policies and called for higher wages, stronger social protections and improved public services.
CGIL leader Maurizio Landini announced plans for a nationwide general strike on November 20, signaling continued labor mobilization beyond Saturday’s demonstrations.
Albania: Student Protests Intensify as Police Face Scrutiny
In Albania, Greece’s northern neighbor, student-led demonstrations entered their fifth consecutive day amid mounting opposition to Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Thousands of protesters have demanded Rama’s resignation, citing alleged government corruption, unemployment, inadequate educational facilities and poor economic opportunities for young people.
Tirana has witnessed some of the most serious confrontations, with protesters setting fires, damaging government buildings and banks, and throwing stones at police. Security forces have responded with tear gas and water cannons.
Saturday’s developments raised further concerns about the use of force by police.
Reuters reported that its video footage showed officers firing a shotgun toward protesters outside the Education Ministry. Journalists at the scene discovered what appeared to be rubber pellets, and two Reuters journalists were struck by projectiles.
Albanian police chief Skender Hita did not deny the use of rubber bullets when questioned. He confirmed that seven officers had been suspended and were facing disciplinary investigations over allegations of exceeding their authority and failing to act proportionately.
Hita also reported 1,067 arrests and criminal proceedings involving 388 people during the broader unrest. Numerous police officers and demonstrators have been injured.
The protests have drawn support from people involved in earlier demonstrations against a controversial coastal tourism development backed by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
Rama, who has governed Albania since 2013, has rejected calls to resign. He says his government respects the right to peaceful demonstrations while maintaining its commitment to securing European Union membership by 2030.
The unrest carries particular regional significance as Albania continues its EU accession efforts alongside other Western Balkan countries.
Belgium: Education Protests Lead to Clashes in Brussels
Belgium witnessed another confrontation between demonstrators and security forces, with hundreds gathering in central Brussels.
The demonstrations were driven largely by student organizations opposing rising educational expenses and proposed reforms they fear could make university education less accessible.
Some of the unrest was influenced by the protests in neighboring France, although Belgium’s student groups have also been mobilizing over domestic education policies.
In Brussels, masked protesters confronted police, and some overturned a vehicle. Officers responded with tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds.
Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin condemned the disturbances, describing the violence as having gone beyond legitimate protest and promising measures to restore public order.
A separate demonstration took place in Liège, where students have raised concerns about the French-language education system, the cost of studying and difficulties obtaining educational materials.
Unlike France’s nationwide mobilization, the Brussels gathering involved several hundred people, illustrating the differences in scale between the countries’ protests.
Portugal: Tens of Thousands Demand Affordable Housing and Higher Wages
Portugal experienced one of the largest peaceful mobilizations of the day, with tens of thousands of people marching through Lisbon against rising housing costs, low wages and growing pressure on household budgets.
The demonstration was organized by the CGTP, one of Portugal’s largest labor union confederations, which called for higher salaries, better pensions and stronger public services.
Housing affordability was a central concern. Property prices in Portugal have more than doubled since 2017, while rising rents have made it increasingly difficult for residents, particularly younger workers, to afford homes in major cities.
Demonstrators marched from Lisbon’s Cais do Sodré toward Rossio square, carrying signs demanding economic relief and more accessible housing.
Similar labor demonstrations took place in Porto and Coimbra, broadening the mobilization beyond the Portuguese capital.
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