Protests against rising living costs and social inequality have intensified across several European countries in recent weeks, with significant unrest reported in Italy, Portugal, France, Spain, and Albania.
In Milan, Italy, a march last Saturday that began peacefully escalated into violent clashes between masked rioters and riot police. Demonstrators threw stones, paving blocks, and set barricades on fire, prompting law enforcement to respond with water cannons and tear gas. Several police officers were injured, and approximately 50 protesters, including many minors, were detained, according to local reports. The violence resulted in substantial damage to public property, including a police vehicle. Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the destructive actions, emphasizing that while protesting is a democratic right, “setting our cities ablaze is not.” Milan’s mayor, Giuseppe Sala, acknowledged the protesters’ grievances but denounced the violence and harm inflicted on the city.
Meanwhile, in Lisbon, Portugal, activists established a tent encampment in the city’s Rossio Square to call attention to the housing crisis and escalating living expenses. This demonstration followed large national marches drawing thousands of participants. Protesters, including social assistant Elena Costa and engineer Antonio Margado, criticized government policies, highlighting rising rents and inadequate tenant protections. Portuguese housing prices have surged by 124% between 2015 and 2024, nearly double the European Union average, disproportionately impacting younger people and residents of Lisbon’s metropolitan area. The Lisbon camp echoed earlier protests in Porto, which saw a similar tent settlement.
Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro acknowledged citizens’ right to express dissatisfaction over perceived policy shortcomings but cautioned against importing unrest from other countries, referencing violent demonstrations seen elsewhere in Europe.
France has faced substantial unrest linked to broader discontent over public spending, social inequality, and perceived deterioration in public services, including education in poorer suburbs of Paris. Last weekend, police arrested over 2,400 people after protests supporting high school students turned violent, with rioters setting fire to buildings, including a courthouse, banks, and a post office, as well as engaging in looting. Authorities employed rubber bullets for the first time since the protests began. President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence but differentiated between peaceful demonstrators raising legitimate concerns and those causing destruction.
In Spain, protests were ignited by the eviction of an 87-year-old woman unable to afford a 230% rent increase imposed by an investment firm. This incident drew widespread public attention to housing affordability and led to demonstrations and the establishment of a protest camp in Madrid. The socialist-led government introduced emergency housing measures, which were subsequently rejected by right-wing and far-right parties in parliament. In response, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called a snap general election scheduled for late November.
Albania has also experienced violent demonstrations over university conditions and tuition fees. Protesters last week clashed with police using rocks, molotov cocktails, and other projectiles, resulting in the burning of cars and street furniture. The protesters have demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, citing grievances with the government’s approach to higher education.
The wave of protests across southern and western Europe reflects mounting public frustration over economic pressures, social inequality, and governance, with authorities seeking to balance the right to demonstrate against maintaining public order.