European cities hit by violent protests over cost of living

Summarised from Independent World's report · Updated 19 Oct, 12:07 · Archive

Mass protests over rising costs and poor public services have turned violent across Europe, from France to Albania.

Mass protests have erupted across Europe amid growing frustration over the cost of living crisis, a lack of affordable housing and deteriorating public services. According to authorities, as many as 550,000 people turned out across France on Saturday, with 110,000 marching in Paris alone, though organisers put the figure closer to 800,000. Protests also took place in Milan, where young people rallied against rising costs; in central Lisbon, where tens of thousands marched over the soaring cost of living and housing crisis; and in Albania, where a sixth consecutive day of demonstrations saw violent clashes with police over poor university conditions, high tuition fees and corruption.

In Paris, protests turned violent as masked rioters clashed with authorities, looting shops and luxury boutiques, setting cars and fires on fire in some of the city's worst violence in years. Police used water cannon and teargas to break up crowds. The French demonstrations gathered momentum from student-led protests that began last month in response to overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages. Milan's prime minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the scenes. Similar weeks of demonstrations in Spain prompted prime minister Pedro Sanchez to call a snap general election.

Read the report

• The European cities facing protests from Paris to Milan as continent gripped by cost of living crisisMass protests over the rising cost of living and worsening standards have thrown Europe into turmoilIndependent World · 19 Oct, 11:02

In this story: France · Paris · Milan · Lisbon · Albania · Giorgia Meloni · Pedro Sanchez · Edi Rama

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