Protests erupted across Europe on Saturday, with thousands of people taking to the streets to demand action on the cost of living and public services.
What happened
In France, some 320,000 people demonstrated, including 70,000 in Paris, according to the French Interior Ministry. Authorities reported over 560 arrests nationwide by Saturday night. Police deployed 70,000 officers to maintain order, following recent rioting and looting.
In Germany, protests were organized by the campaign group Gen Z regelt in over 30 cities, including Berlin and Frankfurt. Demonstrators demanded spending on schools, climate protection, and housing, and opposed plans to return to mandatory military service. Some protests turned violent, with rioters smashing storefronts and stealing goods in Frankfurt.
Elsewhere in Europe, protests were also held in Spain, Italy, Belgium, and Portugal. In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's far-right government deployed 500 army troops alongside police in Milan after groups of masked protesters looted stores and threw projectiles at police. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Rome and other cities, with police using water cannons and riot brigades to disperse protesters.
A 20-year-old medical student in Italy, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “We have been completely screwed by the fact that the wages do not keep up with inflation and the wages in general do not keep up with the cost of living.”
