Hundreds of thousands of Europeans have taken to the streets in separate, uncoordinated demonstrations to protest against the rising cost of living in their countries.
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thousands → take → countries
Saturday’s protests were in Belgium, France, Italy and Portugal in a wave of unrest that has put pressure on national governments across the European Union.
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that → put → Union
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France experienced one of its most turbulent days of protests in decades, with over 550,000 people joining demonstrations and police facing off with protesters across the country – but it was not the only country to see significant demonstrations.
In Belgium’s capital Brussels – which has already seen weeks of protests by students against university registration fees – police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters, who they accused of launching missiles at them and setting fires.
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they → fire → fires
In Liege, a smaller city east of Brussels, police also deployed water cannon to break up demonstrations.
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police → deploy → demonstrations
Police did not say how many people attended.
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people → say → ?
An estimated tens of thousands of protesters marched in Lisbon, the Portuguese capital, against the cost of living crisis, low wages and an inability to access housing in major cities.
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thousands → estimate → cities
House prices in Portugal have more than doubled since 2017, while rents for new leases have increased nearly as much.
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rents → double → leases
Portuguese Parliamentary Affairs Minister Carlos Abreu Amorim said on Friday that the “government will not yield to shouts from the street”.
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government → say → street”
Protesters said their leaders are “out of touch” with the problem.
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leaders → say → problem
In Milan and Bologna, Italian police reported that, alongside peaceful cost of living rallies, protesters threw stones and clashed with officers.
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protesters → report → officers
Italian media reported several injuries and arrests.
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media → report → injuries
French protests spill over
None of the protests reached the same scale as the nationwide rallies in France but they may be a sign of spilling over into other European nations, according to Alberto Alemanno, Professor of EU Law & Policy at HEC Paris business school.
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they → spill → school
“France is the epicentre of this movement … and there are signs now that this is spreading beyond France,” Alemanno told Al Jazeera.
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Alemanno → be → Jazeera
He said Saturday’s protests may not be the last in many of these countries and new hotspots could emerge.
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hotspots → say → countries
In Greece, Germany, and Austria, the “early stages” of a movement is emerging, with mobilisation expected “in the coming week”, he said.
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he → emerge → week
They are not a single movement, he explained, but several protests happening at the same time, with some “shared grievances”: underfunded education, rising costs and, for students, uncertain prospects after graduation.
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he → explain → graduation
The unrest comes at a crucial time for Europe, as the continent prepares for what Alemanno called an “unprecedented super-cycle of national elections” in the coming 12 months, with votes scheduled in Spain, France, Italy and Poland.
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votes → come → Spain
“Inevitably, all these protests, all these mobilisations, are going to be at the centre of the political conversation,” Alemanno said.
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Alemanno → go → conversation
The Aporia
