Thousands of protesters march in cities across Europe

A fresh wave of protests has swept across Europe, driven by public anger over rising living costs, housing pressures, government policies and other social grievances. The demonstrations have triggered clashes with police in several countries as authorities struggle to contain the unrest. Hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets across France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Albania and Belgium.

Protests across Europe escalate into clashes with police Mass protests have taken place in France, Italy, Spain, Albania and Portugal. Demonstrators are demanding higher wages, affordable housing and better social services. In several cities, riots and arson broke out. Police used water cannons and tear gas. There have been arrests and injuries. In Albania, protesters are demanding the prime minister’s resignation over corruption allegations against the government. In France, trade unions have announced a new nationwide protest for November 5. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of French cities yesterday. Demonstrations were largely peaceful during the day, but clashes with police erupted in the evening. In Paris, protesters erected barricades and threw objects and fireworks at police. According to the Interior Ministry, nearly 1,000 people were arrested. France is preparing to temporarily shut down messaging apps if further unrest breaks out. According to the prime minister, social media platforms were used to coordinate violence and looting and to share information about police.

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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. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described as an "extremely elevated level of violence" from black-clad extremists. While the demonstrations themselves had largely proceeded peacefully, Nunez said "ultra-left" groups threw projectiles and fired fireworks at police in an apparent attempt to provoke confrontations. According to the interior ministry, around 4,10,000 people participated in demonstrations nationwide on Saturday, including 1,10,000 in Paris. The CGT union, one of the organisers, estimated turnout at 8,00,000 across France, including 2,50,000 in the capital.
Thousands gathered in Albania's capital Tirana on Saturday for another anti-government protest after days of violent unrest. Police used tear gas to disperse crowds as tensions escalated.Since mid-October, protesters and police have frequently clashed during demonstrations that evolved from opposition to a development project linked to the family of US President Trump. Authorities said several government buildings have been attacked, dozens of demonstrators detained and more than 300 protesters and police officers injured. On Saturday, police fired rubber bullets while some protesters launched fireworks at security forces.
In Barcelona, demonstrators looted shops and set fires, while police in Rome, Turin, Brussels. The demonstrations reflect a range of grievances, including rising living costs, housing affordability, low wages, education, deteriorating public services and opposition to government policies.