Hundreds of thousands of Europeans protested across the continent on Saturday against soaring living costs and housing crises, with demonstrations in France, Belgium, Italy and Portugal escalating into some of the most intense unrest in years.
In France, more than 550,000 people joined protests nationwide, according to the Interior Ministry, with violent clashes erupting in Paris, Marseille, Nice and other cities. Masked groups looted shops, set fires and attacked police, leaving 150 officers injured and 1,200 arrested, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said. Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire described entire streets as “devastated,” while fires gutted Limoges’ 140-year-old town hall and vandalized city halls in Marseille and Lille. President Emmanuel Macron vowed on X that those responsible would be “prosecuted and punished” .
In Portugal, tens of thousands marched in Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra, demanding wage increases and affordable housing. House prices have more than doubled since 2017, and rents for new leases have risen nearly as much. Protesters set up tents in Lisbon’s Rossio Square, vowing to remain until forced out, while the CGTP union called for a 15% wage hike and a minimum salary of €1,100. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Carlos Abreu Amorim stated the government “will not yield to shouts from the street” .
Belgian police in Brussels used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters, whom they accused of throwing projectiles and setting fires. Italy saw clashes in Milan, where demonstrators barricaded streets and torched debris, and in Bologna, where masked groups threw stones at officers. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence, stating that “silence is unacceptable” .
