Last Updated on October 19, 2026 12:20 am by INDIAN AWAAZ
AMN/ WEB DESK
Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets across Belgium, France, Italy and Portugal to protest against rising living costs, low wages and the growing difficulty of accessing affordable housing. The demonstrations have put governments across the European Union under pressure.
France witnessed widespread unrest, with more than five lakh fifty thousand people participating in demonstrations, according to the Interior Ministry. The protests, which followed weeks of student demonstrations, escalated into clashes, widespread looting and arson as groups of masked protesters targeted shops, historic public buildings and police vehicles.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said around 1,200 people had been arrested and 150 police officers injured. Dozens of shops were looted in several cities, including Paris, Marseille, Nice, Bordeaux and Toulouse.
In Limoges, a fire set by masked protesters largely destroyed the historic town hall. Municipal buildings in Marseille and Lille were vandalised, while a tourist office in Lyon was set ablaze. French President Emmanuel Macron vowed that those responsible would be prosecuted.
In Belgium, police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters in Brussels and Liège following reports of projectiles being thrown at officers and fires being set.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people reportedly marched in Portugal’s capital, Lisbon, protesting against rising living costs, low wages and soaring housing prices. Portuguese Parliamentary Affairs Minister Carlos Abreu Amorim said the government would not yield to pressure from street demonstrations, while protesters accused political leaders of being out of touch with their concerns.
In Italy, demonstrations in Milan against wars and rising living costs turned violent, with protesters clashing with police, looting shops and setting fire to barricades. Police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowds. According to the LaPresse news agency, at least two police officers were injured and around 50 demonstrators were detained.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence, saying that while demonstrating was a right, setting cities ablaze was unacceptable. Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala also said that although the protesters’ concerns were understandable, violence against police and damage to public property could not be justified. Clashes were also reported in Bologna, where some demonstrators allegedly threw stones at police.