Rising fuel prices, dissatisfaction with the state of schools, deteriorating public services and the housing crisis are fueling an autumn of protests in Europe. This is reported in an Associated Press article, writes UNN.
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Crowds have been protesting in major European cities for weeks, with some demonstrations marked by arrests, looting, injuries and violence across France, Italy and Albania. In Spain and Portugal, tent camps have been set up to protest unaffordable housing.
Young Europeans feel a "strong sense of uncertainty and lack of control," comments María Silvestre, a sociologist at the University of Deusto in Spain. "And when certain situations coincide, a spark suddenly ignites that can channel this discontent and bring people out into the streets," she points out.
Cities have turned into "battlefields" as the EU's leading economies, including France, Italy and Spain, approach important elections, while far-right parties "have made gains in elections in Germany and may do so in other countries." This is also happening as Europe faces a critical moment in its support for Ukraine, with U.S. President Donald Trump making proposals to Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, even as Russia is accused of increasingly frequent arson attacks, cyberattacks and other acts of sabotage in NATO countries, the publication notes.
"Right-wing politicians have taken advantage of the chaos," the publication notes. Although the protests in France appeared broad-based, Trump portrayed immigrants as responsible for the destruction, writing on his Truth Social platform on Monday: "Migrants have taken over France. They must close the borders quickly!"
Many of the protests, it is noted, were fueled by frustrated young people. Other participants, including masked agitators dressed in black, stoked the violence, but French authorities and police did not blame immigrants.
High school students' grievances in France
In France, which has a centuries-old tradition of popular protests, high school students have been staging blockades and demonstrations for more than three weeks, demanding more resources for schools they describe as understaffed and neglected, especially in low-income areas.
The protests spread when the French CGT trade union and other activists joined them, while students went on autumn break. The movement now includes demands concerning the rising cost of living and public services.
Although hundreds of thousands of people held peaceful marches, weekend unrest led to 2,400 arrests and serious disturbances in parts of France, including looting in Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Bordeaux. In Limoges, flames engulfed a 19th-century city hall and nearly destroyed the building. Some schools were set on fire. As students and rioters threw incendiary devices and law enforcement responded with tear gas, hundreds of people were injured.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence on Saturday, accusing far-left activists of trying to foment chaos by attacking buildings and police.
"Those who looted will have to pay for the damage caused, and those who tried to overthrow the Republic will be held accountable," Macron said on Sunday in a rare televised address.
In Spain, primary and secondary school teachers began an indefinite strike in Madrid last week, demanding better pay and working conditions. Dissatisfied teachers staged similar strikes in other parts of Spain this year.
Protesters blocked the Louvre amid mass demonstrations in France19.10.26, 13:47
Unaffordable housing in Spain
In Madrid's central Puerta del Sol square, canvas tents covered the plaza for weeks in protest against rising housing costs, triggered by the eviction of 87-year-old María del Carmen Abascal, who later died in hospital. Smaller protest camps appeared in other Spanish cities.
Public pressure forced the ruling socialist government to approve measures on affordable housing, but they failed to secure support in parliament, prompting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to call early elections in November. A nationwide strike was also announced for November—the first in 14 years.
Similar housing protests have emerged in Portugal's largest cities, Lisbon and Porto, as well as in Barcelona, "the center of overtourism and housing problems in Spain."
Spain's minimum wage is €1,221 ($1,370), while the average monthly rent for an 80-square-meter apartment is around €1,130 (about $1,270), according to an analysis by the business newspaper Expansión.
Unaffordable living costs amid rising inflation in Italy
"Italy in the Square" ("Italia in Piazza") brought together thousands of demonstrators calling for better employment, healthcare, education and access to housing, as well as higher wages. Inflation in Italy rose to 4.2% in September, exceeding the 3.8% rate in the eurozone, according to government data.
Peaceful marches were followed by violent riots in Turin and Bologna, as well as in Italy's financial and fashion capital, Milan, where masked rioters clashed with police, looted shops and set property on fire. Milan police said that 271 people, most of them minors, were detained during the two days of rioting, while 14 security personnel were injured.
Now a newly formed group calling itself the "Oct. 17 Movement" has announced what it calls a "permanent mobilization" to hold demonstrations in cities across Italy every Saturday at 3 p.m.
Students in Albania join anti-corruption protests
Anti-government protests in Albania's capital, Tirana, have continued for a week, with clashes intensifying after high school and university students joined the broad anti-government "Flamingo" movement, which has called for the resignation of socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Clashes with police have been ongoing in Albania for a week: hundreds injured20.10.26, 10:30
Rama condemned the protesters, calling them an "ideologized and radicalized" Antifa movement—a general term for loosely organized far-left groups, the publication writes.
Ending corruption is the movement's main demand. It was named after the flamingos' natural habitat in the area where Rama's government agreed to allow a major luxury tourism development linked to Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law. They also want protections for healthcare, education and state pensions, according to information on the movement's website.
In Serbia, university students who have led mass anti-corruption protests for nearly two years are challenging former populist leader Aleksandar Vučić's attempt to return to power in the Balkan country in parliamentary elections.
The former authoritarian president seeks to be appointed prime minister after the October 25 vote. The youth-backed "Students’ List" party is believed to be close to Vučić's party, making the election outcome uncertain and fueling fears of possible violence, the publication notes.
Vučić resigned, but now wants to head Serbia’s government — students oppose this29.09.26, 01:37