A wave of youth-led protests swept across Europe on Saturday as hundreds of thousands demonstrated against the rising cost of living, education cuts, and social inequality.
In France, authorities deployed 70,000 police and gendarmes, bracing for a third weekend of unrest. Paris’s top court banned a planned march through the city center, redirecting protesters to the eastern outskirts after rioting and looting during previous demonstrations. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez warned of a “very high risk” of disorder, particularly after dark on Halloween, as radical groups called for violent gatherings online. Two weeks ago, 550,000 people marched nationwide, with clashes leaving hundreds of shops damaged and over 1,300 arrests.
In Germany, the “Gen Z regelt” movement organized protests in more than 30 cities, with over 160,000 participants registered online. Demonstrators demanded increased education funding, climate action, affordable housing, and opposition to any return of military conscription. Organizers insisted on peaceful protests, but police in Berlin mobilized an additional 1,500 officers amid fears of extremist infiltration. Some shopkeepers boarded up windows in anticipation, though authorities reported no specific threats of violence.
Italy saw mass demonstrations in over 40 cities, with police using water cannons in Turin and making multiple arrests. Protests also spread to Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, and Portugal, with calls to gather circulating on social media. In Barcelona, Catalan police activated their highest alert level after anonymous online networks urged new protests, following 130 arrests during last weekend’s unrest.
The movement began with high school students protesting poor school conditions and expanded into broader grievances over living costs and public services. French President Emmanuel Macron had pledged “concrete and strong” measures earlier this week, including a €5 billion education reform package. Yet frustration persisted, with organizers and participants accusing political leaders of ignoring their concerns for years.
