Thousands protest racism and far-right across Europe as tensions rise

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9 days · 11 summary articles
Thousands marched in Paris on Sunday as left-wing leaders and civil society groups rallied against racism and the far right, calling for the issue to be placed at the heart of next year’s presidential campaign. The demonstration, led by Saint-Denis mayor Bally Bagayoko of La France Insoumise, drew several thousand people from Barbès to Place de la République, where a concert organised by Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s party concluded the march. Bagayoko framed the event as a “great popular alliance” and urged that combating all forms of racism become a central plank of the presidential agenda .
Across Europe, simultaneous protests underscored deepening social tensions. In Budapest, authorities suspect deliberate vandalism after rainbow Pride flags vanished from the Elizabeth Bridge overnight, with video appearing to show them being torn down and thrown into the Danube; the city prosecutor’s office has filed a criminal complaint .
In Berlin, police launched investigations after racist and antisemitic slogans were shouted at a public viewing event in Prenzlauer Berg, while in Bielefeld disturbances erupted after the match, involving pyrotechnics and bottles, and a police dog bit a man .
In Prague, tens of thousands protested against Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s plan to overhaul public broadcaster funding, which critics say threatens editorial independence; staff at Czech Television and Czech Radio plan a warning strike on Monday .
In Germany’s capital, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius faced down protesters at a veterans’ day event who wore red shirts and chanted “No more conscription,” while elsewhere in Berlin an AfD politician was struck by eggs thrown from an electric scooter during a street campaign .
German authorities also opened a probe into a Krefeld CDU member accused of posting a racist video inciting violence against Muslims, while in Edinburgh a man was arrested over Friday’s attacks that injured five people and were described by Prime Minister Keir Starmer as motivated by anti-Muslim hatred .
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