From burning barricades in France to boarded-up luxury stores in Italy and shop looting in Spain, demonstrations over living costs, housing, education and government policies have put authorities across Europe on high alert for a second consecutive weekend.Police officers in riot gear stand next to an armoured vehicle during an anti-government protest by students in Tirana, Albania. (Credits: Reuters)Europe witnessed another day of widespread protests on Saturday, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets across France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Albania and Belgium.While several demonstrations remained peaceful, clashes between protesters and police, vandalism and looting prompted authorities to deploy thousands of security personnel and impose restrictions in major cities.France reported nearly 1,000 arrests as protests continued across the country, while Italy deployed additional soldiers to Milan to prevent a repeat of last weekend's violence. Protesters dressed as Stormtroopers attend a demonstration organised by labour unions in Paris as part of nationwide protests called by the Yellow Vests movement. (Credits: Reuters) In Barcelona, demonstrators looted shops and set fires, while police in Rome, Turin, Brussels and Tirana used tear gas or water cannon to disperse crowds.
Police detain a demonstrator during a student's protest in Barcelona. (Credits: Reuters) The demonstrations reflect a range of grievances, including rising living costs, housing affordability, low wages, education, deteriorating public services and opposition to government policies.Although the protests do not form a single, unified movement, the repeated clashes and security deployments have highlighted the challenges facing European governments as public discontent spills onto the streets. French riot police charge protesters amid clashes during demonstration organised by labour unions in Paris. (Credits: Reuters) FRANCE: NEARLY 1,000 ARRESTS AS PROTESTS TURN VIOLENTFrance remained a major flashpoint, with the Interior Ministry estimating that approximately 410,000 people participated in Saturday's demonstrations.
Trade unions put the turnout at around 800,000.Authorities deployed approximately 70,000 police officers and imposed restrictions in several cities to prevent the rallies from escalating into widespread disorder.The demonstrations were largely peaceful during the day, but clashes erupted in Paris and other urban centres later in the evening.In Paris, a march from Porte d'Italie towards Porte de Vincennes ended in confrontations between riot police and groups of demonstrators. Protesters taking cover behind a plywood board face off with French gendarmes amid clashes. (Credits: Reuters) Some protesters erected makeshift barricades and threw projectiles at officers, while masked youths smashed the windows of a car dealership.Police responded with baton charges, tear gas and water cannon.
Masked protesters take cover behind a plywood board as French riot police use a water canon amid clashes. (Credits: Reuters) Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said several thousand radical activists had gathered towards the rear of the march, including approximately 500 people identified as rioters, according to AFP.In Marseille, rubbish bins were set ablaze and metal sheets were used to block streets. In Bordeaux, demonstrators wearing dark clothing and face coverings removed boards from a building to construct a street barricade.Police also used tear gas to disperse a crowd in Lyon after demonstrators gathered in an area declared off-limits by local authorities.
A demonstrator runs covering himself with a makeshift shield, during a demonstration banned by local authorities. (Credits: Reuters) Despite the clashes, authorities have so far avoided the scale of looting and destruction witnessed last weekend, when businesses were targeted and buildings were set on fire.President Emmanuel Macron had earlier decreed that only demonstrations organised by recognised trade unions would be permitted. Hundreds of people arrested in connection with vandalism, arson and looting have faced fast-track court proceedings in recent days.ITALY: SOLDIERS DEPLOYED IN MILAN AMID FEARS OF FRESH LOOTINGItaly witnessed demonstrations in several cities, including Milan, Rome and Turin, as thousands of mostly young protesters rallied over rising living costs, low wages, public services, military spending and government policies.Milan was placed on heightened alert after looting and clashes marred demonstrations the previous weekend.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the deployment of an additional 500 soldiers, supplementing hundreds already stationed in the city. People attend a spontaneous demonstration against the rising cost of living in Milan. (Credits: Reuters) Police and other security personnel used drone surveillance, railway station checks and rapid-response units to monitor potential trouble.Luxury boutiques and prominent retailers boarded up their windows, while the Apple Store remained closed even after some other businesses reopened.The march in Milan remained largely peaceful.
Demonstrators chanted slogans against Meloni and carried banners criticising the government.Some protesters dumped manure outside Italy's energy regulator and burned a symbolic oversized electricity bill to draw attention to energy costs.In Rome, however, demonstrations turned violent as police used tear gas and water cannon against protesters. Some demonstrators threw bottles and fireworks at officers, while street signs were damaged.BREAKING: Riots in Rome tonight.
Italian police are using batons and water cannons in their attempts to disperse the crowds of far-left rioters https://t.co/WDBm7aff6w— Visegrd 24 (@visegrad24) October 24, 2026Several hundred students and young demonstrators also briefly occupied the Colosseum, waving Palestinian flags and protesting against the war in Gaza and the Italian government's position. Protesters demonstrate at Colosseum in Rome. (Credits: Reuters) Clashes were also reported in Turin, where police used tear gas after demonstrators threw stones, bottles and smoke bombs at officers.Authorities have announced tougher measures, including additional security deployments and stricter penalties for minors involved in violence.
Police said young people made up a significant proportion of those involved in the previous weekend's unrest.SPAIN: BARCELONA SEES SHOP LOOTING, 100 ARRESTSBarcelona witnessed some of the most serious incidents in Spain on Saturday evening, with approximately 100 people arrested after hooded demonstrators looted shops and set fire to street furniture around the central Placa de Catalunya. Protesters in Barcelona were attacked by water cannons. (Credits: Reuters) Catalonia's regional Interior Minister, Nria Parlon, said more than 30 fires were reported and 14 stores were vandalised or looted.
Around a quarter of those arrested were minors, she added.The demonstrations followed social media calls for a movement against the establishment, with posts using slogans associated with student protests in France.Videos circulating online showed masked demonstrators dressed in black kicking in shop windows and taking goods. Other footage showed people trapped inside shops, including the El Corte Ingls department store, after shutters were lowered to prevent looting.Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni said acts of vandalism would have legal consequences, including for the guardians of minors involved.Meanwhile, Madrid witnessed a separate demonstration, with more than 25,000 people taking to the streets to demand pension system reform.PORTUGAL: DEMONSTRATORS DEMAND AFFORDABLE HOUSINGIn Portugal, thousands of people marched in cities across the country to demand more affordable housing as rents and property prices continued to rise.In Lisbon, demonstrators opposed government measures intended to ease rent increases and make it easier to evict tenants who fail to pay.
The protests highlighted concerns over housing affordability and the difficulties faced by residents amid rising property costs. Protesters from Portugal also came out to protest against rising cost of living. (Credits: Reuters) Unlike the violent incidents reported in parts of France, Italy and Spain, the demonstrations in Portugal centred on housing policy and the demand for greater affordability.ALBANIA: STUDENTS DEMAND LOWER TUITION FEES, PM'S RESIGNATIONIn Albania, protesters gathered outside the Ministry of Education in the capital, Tirana, demanding lower tuition fees, greater state investment in education and the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.Students joined a wider anti-government demonstration, with some protesters throwing stones at police and buildings.
Officers responded with water cannon to disperse the crowds.More than 2,500 police officers were deployed in the capital. Demonstrators also set fire to dumpsters and cushions that Rama had placed outside as a symbolic invitation for dialogue with students.The unrest reflected dissatisfaction with education costs and public investment, alongside broader opposition to the government.BELGIUM: POLICE USE TEAR GAS TO DISPERSE CROWDS IN BRUSSELSIn Belgium, police used tear gas and water cannon to break up student barricades in Brussels.
High-end retailers and luxury boutiques boarded up their premises amid fears of renewed looting and property damage.In one incident, protesters attempted to set fire to a pile of rental scooters, road signs and bicycles. Reuters witnesses reported that a police officer hit and kicked a protester during the confrontation.At least five people were arrested, although police said no major incidents had taken place.The security measures reflected concerns that the disorder reported in other European cities could spread further, prompting businesses and authorities to take precautions.EUROPE'S GOVERNMENTS FACE CHALLENGE OF CONTAINING UNRESTThe second consecutive weekend of demonstrations has exposed the range of issues fuelling public discontent across Europe.While the protests share concerns about economic pressures and government policies, their immediate causes differ from country to country, spanning housing, education, pensions, wages, public services and opposition to the war in Gaza.Authorities have responded with additional police deployments, military personnel, restrictions on demonstrations and preventive security measures, particularly in cities that experienced looting and clashes last weekend.However, the continued turnout and the spread of demonstrations across multiple countries indicate that the underlying grievances remain unresolved.As governments seek to restore order, the challenge will be to contain violence without losing sight of the issues that have brought demonstrators onto the streets.Whether tighter security measures will prevent further disorder or the protests will continue into another weekend remains to be seen.- Ends