Protests sweep across Europe as young people demand change

A wave of youth-driven protests has swept across Europe, with young demonstrators voicing frustration over worsening living conditions, education, and political leadership.

Over recent weeks, unrest has intensified in France, Italy, Albania, and Belgium, with some demonstrations escalating into violent clashes with police.

A demonstrator in France dressed as Pink Panther escaping water cannons

Although the protests have different immediate causes, several share underlying grievances, including rising living costs, dissatisfaction with political leadership and declining public services.

At the centre of the unrest is the growing mobilisation of young people, who are taking to the streets to demand a better life and a more secure future.

France

France has witnessed weeks of student-led unrest, with demonstrations expanding into a broader protest movement involving trade unions and supporters of the Yellow Vests.

The protests intensified on 17 October, when authorities estimated that around 550,000 people took to the streets nationwide. Organisers placed the figure at 800,000.

Initially driven by high school students protesting deteriorating conditions in schools, the demonstrations have since attracted trade unions demanding higher wages and better public services, alongside Yellow Vest supporters protesting rising fuel prices and living costs.

The Yellow Vest movement emerged in 2018 in opposition to rising fuel taxes before developing into a broader campaign against economic inequality and President Emmanuel Macron's policies.

While many demonstrations have remained peaceful, violent clashes with police and incidents of property destruction have been reported in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lille, and other cities.

In Limoges, the city hall was set on fire. In Paris, Apple and designer fashion stores were looted, while a Statue of Liberty replica was dressed in a yellow vest.

Meanwhile, French police are facing mounting scrutiny over allegations of excessive force against demonstrators, particularly students.

In Alençon, an officer was filmed restraining a girl in a headlock, a technique banned in France.

In Lens, a 15-year-old student lost a hand after picking up a police grenade that had reportedly been thrown into a crowd of high school protesters during clashes.

In Tours, a 16-year-old boy also lost the use of one eye after being injured during a protest blockade on 30 September, reportedly after being struck by a rubber projectile fired by police.

On 8 October, footage from a student demonstration at Place de la Bastille in Paris appeared to show a police officer striking a protester with his knee.

Authorities have also launched an investigation into the use of a UK-funded police vehicle, originally intended for border enforcement, against student protesters in Dunkirk.

These incidents form part of wider allegations concerning the policing of demonstrations, with The Guardian reporting that internal investigations had been opened into 36 incidents of alleged excessive force during the student protests that began in September.

As unrest continues, some demonstrators have also called for Macron's resignation.

Belgium

The unrest has also reached neighbouring Belgium, where demonstrations reportedly inspired by the French protests have resulted in clashes between young protesters and police.

On 17 October, hundreds of people, many of them young demonstrators, gathered in Brussels to protest education costs and proposed reforms.

Clashes broke out during the demonstrations, with police deploying tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds.

Separate protests were also held in Liège.

Italy

Cost-of-living demonstrations in Italy escalated into violent clashes on 17 October, particularly in Milan, Bologna and Turin.

Organised under the slogan Italia in Piazza, the protests centred on rising living costs, high energy and fuel prices, inadequate salaries and concerns over education and healthcare.

In Milan, demonstrators gathered in Piazza del Duomo before clashes erupted between police and groups of protesters.

Officers deployed tear gas, while some demonstrators threw stones and other objects at police.

The unrest spread towards the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, where shops closed their shutters and tourists left the area. The Duomo metro station was also temporarily closed.

Italian media reported dozens of injuries and detentions following the clashes.

Albania

Albania has also experienced violent unrest, although its protests have taken on a more explicitly anti-government character.

On 15 October, demonstrations in the capital, Tirana, escalated into clashes with police lasting more than eight hours.

Students joined an existing anti-government movement demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation amid allegations of corruption.

Alongside calls for education reform, protesters have voiced opposition to a controversial coastal development project associated with Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.

The movement has also become associated with the image of a pink flamingo.

During the unrest, protesters damaged government buildings and businesses, while police deployed tear gas and water cannons.

Authorities reported 35 arrests, with 23 police officers and six civilians injured.