Demonstrations: Riots during protests in several European countries
Not only in France, but also elsewhere, many people are taking to the streets. There is violence, arrests and several injured.
Demonstrations erupted in several European countries, resulting in violent clashes during the weekend protests. In France, around 410,000 people participated in nationwide protests, with roughly 110,000 in Paris. Young people demanding better school equipment joined those protesting against high living costs. Over 1,000 arrests occurred in France, though the number may rise as officials tally the details.
Despite the protests going smoothly, clashes occurred near the protest marches, involving "risk groups" separating from the main groups. Images from Paris showcased tear gas clouds, fireworks, and water cannons. Similar scenes were observed in other cities like Lyon, Bordeaux, and Marseille, where tear gas clouds and flames were also visible.
The minister blamed the "radical extreme left, the ultra-left" for the violence. In Albania, protests against poor university conditions and the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama were marred by violence. Demonstrators in Tirana threw stones at government buildings and police, while some set the environment ministry on fire. Images and social media posts showed chaotic scenes.
The protest, organized by students and targeting high living costs, turned violent, with both protesters and police suffering injuries. Police used water cannons, tear gas, pepper spray, and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. Officials also attacked Klan News' camera team. In Barcelona, hundreds of youths and young adults protested on Saturday night into the early hours, damaging street furniture, bicycles, and motorcycles, plundering shops, and setting trash cans on fire.
The exact purpose of the protests was unclear. Spanish police and the Catalan city police arrested around 100 demonstrators, including nearly a quarter of them minors. Over 220 officers were deployed to control the situation. The youth followed an anonymous social media call to protest in the city center. Minister Primes Salvador Llla condemned the violence, stating that "violence has no place in Catalonia.
Never. Protest is a democratic right. Attacks, intimidation and property damage, however, are not." Nine arrests were made in Brussels and Liège in Belgium, mostly for disturbing public order, weapon possession, and inciting violence. In Brussels, 400 people participated, with nine arrests for public order disturbance, weapon possession, and inciting violence.
It mirrored 150 arrests in Brussels the previous weekend. Similar protests occurred in Italy, with several protests seeing isolated clashes between demonstrators and police. Topics included high living costs, high fuel prices, and military build-up. In Milan, protests were largely peaceful by Saturday evening, but security forces stopped a demonstration using batons.
Spray and water cannons were deployed in Bologna, while Turin used water cannons and barriers to deter demonstrators. Neapolitan and Florence demonstrators also gathered.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
