Thousands of people took to the streets across Europe over the weekend to protest against rising living costs, housing affordability, pensions, education standards, alleged corruption and war, with demonstrations in several countries leading to clashes with police and tighter security measures.
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demonstrations → take → police
France, Albania, Italy, Spain and Portugal witnessed rallies on Saturday, with demonstrators raising demands ranging from action against government corruption and investment in education to protection of public pensions and access to affordable housing.
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demonstrators → witness → housing
Authorities deployed additional police personnel and, in some areas, soldiers after violence during earlier demonstrations.
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Authorities → deploy → demonstrations
While several rallies remained peaceful, others saw protesters throw projectiles at police, set fires and damage property.
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protesters → remain → property
France sees arrests as protests turn violent
In France, nearly 1,000 people had been arrested during Saturday's demonstrations, interior minister Laurent Nuñez said, adding that the figure was likely to rise further.
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figure → see → demonstrations
The government estimated that 410,000 people had taken part in protests nationwide, while organisers put the turnout at nearly 800,000.
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organisers → estimate → 800,000
Authorities in Paris announced that the demonstration along Cours de Vincennes had been dispersed following clashes between protesters and law enforcement personnel, France 24 reported.
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France → announce → protesters
Police used water cannons and tear gas after projectiles were thrown at officers.
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projectiles → use → officers
"A Gendarmerie helicopter has been deployed to support ground units and locate any remaining groups of rioters," the prefectural police said, adding that more than 500 people described as rioters had been present towards the end of the demonstration.
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people → deploy → demonstration
French left-wing leader and presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon criticised the police response, accusing officers of using tear gas and firing into the crowd at the back of the procession.
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Mélenchon → criticise → procession
He also alleged that media coverage was presenting the protest movement negatively.
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coverage → allege → movement
US President Donald Trump also commented on the unrest during a campaign rally in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, blaming France's immigration policies for the situation.
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Trump → comment → situation
Albania protests see clashes with riot police
In Albania, thousands of people gathered in the capital, Tirana, for another anti-government demonstration, with protests also spreading to other cities.
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protests → see → cities
Riot police used tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators who threw rocks at officers and started a fire at the entrance to the agriculture ministry, Reuters reported.
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Reuters → use → ministry
Visuals showed protesters firing streams of firework rockets towards riot police and fireworks exploding.
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fireworks → show → police
Protesters also targeted government buildings and banks, smashed shop windows and pulled up paving stones to throw at police.
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Protesters → target → police
The student-led demonstrations have been fuelled by anger over alleged government corruption, unemployment and poor education standards.
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demonstrations → lead → corruption
High school and university students have demanded lower tuition fees, greater state investment in education and action against corruption in the education system.
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students → demand → system
Some have joined a wider movement calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
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Some → join → Rama
The unrest follows months of largely peaceful summer protests against a luxury coastal development backed by US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
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unrest → follow → law
Authorities deployed around 2,500 police officers in Tirana on Saturday.
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Authorities → deploy → Saturday
Protesters had hurled rocks, flares, firebombs and fireworks at police over the preceding week, while authorities said more than 300 protesters and police personnel had been injured.
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protesters → hurl → week
Italy deploys soldiers amid renewed demonstrations
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Italy → deploy → demonstrations
Thousands of young people marched in Milan, Rome, Turin, Naples, Bologna and Florence, with demonstrations focusing on a range of social and political concerns.
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demonstrations → march → concerns
Some protesters threw bottles, stones and firecrackers.
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protesters → throw → bottles
Italian police said nine people had been arrested and 371 briefly detained during demonstrations in eight cities on Saturday.
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371 → say → Saturday
Of those taken to police stations, 110 were minors.
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110 → take → stations
In Milan, the march remained peaceful as authorities deployed soldiers and police personnel and several luxury shops boarded up their windows.
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shops → remain → windows
Most shops had reopened by late afternoon.
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shops → reopen → afternoon
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced that an additional 500 soldiers would be sent to Milan, alongside tougher penalties for minors involved in violence.
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soldiers → announce → violence
Hundreds of soldiers were already stationed in the city, supporting around 5,000 police and other security personnel.
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Hundreds → station → police
Meloni thanked law enforcement personnel for protecting public safety and the right to peaceful protest.
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Meloni → thank → protest
"The right to demonstrate must always be guaranteed, just as the right of citizens to live their cities in safety must be," she wrote in a post on X.
In Rome, a small group of protesters tried to force their way into the Colosseum but were ushered out by guards.
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group → demonstrate → guards
A separate anti-war march briefly clashed with police near Piazza della Repubblica, with demonstrators retreating after officers deployed a water cannon, news agency AP reported.
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AP → clash → cannon
The latest demonstrations followed violent clashes and looting during protests the previous weekend.
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demonstrations → follow → protests
In Milan, shops in the fashion district, including luxury boutiques, had boarded up their windows in anticipation of renewed unrest.
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shops → include → unrest
In Madrid, thousands of retirees and other demonstrators marched to demand protection for the public pension system and increases linked to actual inflation.
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thousands → march → inflation
Protesters called for higher minimum pensions in line with the minimum wage, measures to narrow the gender pension gap and safeguards against the privatisation of public pensions.
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Protesters → call → pensions
As per reports, thereChaos on the streets was captured in several viral videos on social media.
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thereChaos → capture → media
The demonstrations came ahead of a snap election next month.
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demonstrations → come → election
…and 15 more, not listed.
The Aporia
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