Mass protests grip Europe with tear gas, fireworks and water cannon (VIDEOS)

Mass protests have swept across Europe over the weekend, with demonstrators clashing with riot police amid widespread anger over soaring living costs and government policies.

The unrest has largely been inspired by the protests in France, which began in September. Spearheaded by students, they were originally aimed at rising education costs, a lack of teachers, and the poor condition of educational facilities. They eventually morphed into widespread violence and now carry a broader anti-government undertone.

France remains the hotbed of the protests, with at least 410,000 people hitting the streets nationwide on Saturday, including some 110,000 in Paris, according to Interior Ministry figures. The CGT union, one of the key organizers of the demonstrations, put the estimate nearly twice as high, at about 800,000.

The French authorities have implemented strict security measures in an effort to avoid a repeat of widespread rioting over the past weekend. In Paris, the demonstrators were banned from gathering at several central locations, ending up confined to the city’s southeastern edge.

The protests nevertheless turned violent in multiple locations, including Paris, where clashes between police and rowdy demonstrators were observed after the march concluded. Violence has been reported in Clermont-Ferrand, Lyon, Marseille, Strasbourg, Nice, Nantes, and other cities, where law enforcement used riot control measures to repel protesters.

Nearly 1,000 people were arrested across France on Saturday, according to authorities, as several cities reported looting, vandalism and attacks on police. Some 70,000 officers were deployed nationwide to contain the unrest.

Albania

Albania is another hotspot. Riot police repeatedly clashed with demonstrators in Tirana on Saturday as thousands gathered for renewed anti-government protests. Months of unrest have escalated into a nationwide movement fueled by soaring living costs, unemployment, corruption and deteriorating public services. Student-led demonstrations demanding cheaper education and better university conditions have intensified pressure on Prime Minister Edi Rama, whose resignation has become a central demand of the protesters.

Italy

Mass protests have also been held across Italy, which endured a wave of violence last weekend. Bracing for renewed unrest, the government deployed an additional 500 troops to Milan, where luxury boutiques were boarded up in an effort to prevent a repeat of looting and clashes.

Still, violence erupted at many locations across the country, including Rome, Naples, and Bologna, with police seen deploying water cannons and using tear gas to try to disperse rowdy protesters. 

A group of protesters forced their way into the Colosseum in Rome, briefly occupying the ancient landmark before being forced out by security guards. Elsewhere in the capital, demonstrators hurled bottles and firecrackers at police barricades.

Belgium

Major anti-government demonstrations have been held in Brussels, Belgium. The country was one of the first to feel the spillover effects of the French unrest, with local youth also embarking on violent protests for the sake of better conditions in the education system. 

The clashes in Brussels appeared to be less violent and much smaller compared to the previous weekend. Still, police were seen using pepper spray and tear gas to disperse demonstrators, even though they had reported no major incidents by the end of Saturday afternoon.

Spain

Spain has joined the weekend of protests too, with a massive pensioners’ demonstration held in Madrid. Thousands took to the streets of the Spanish capital, demanding better pensions and closing the gender gap, as well as regular indexation to inflation. 

While the pensioners' protest was orderly and peaceful, violence hit Spain’s second-largest city of Barcelona, where an unauthorized youth protest was staged. The rally was reportedly organized and coordinated through social media. While law enforcement managed to break up the main gathering, the protesters dispersed in smaller groups across the city, engaging in looting and arson, chaotic footage from the scene suggests.

Portugal

Lisbon also saw mass demonstrations on Saturday, with thousands marching against soaring rents and unaffordable housing. Protesters erected dozens of tents in the capital’s central Rossio Square despite police warnings and a crackdown earlier in the week, when officers dismantled a previous encampment and arrested 55 activists.