Police beside a street fire. Photo: Stien Hohn / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images, via The Jerusalem Post.
Clashes between protesters and security personnel erupted in several cities across Germany and France on Saturday, as demonstrations against the rising cost of living and demands for greater investment in public services continued across Europe.
Police deployed a water cannon while dispersing protesters in Cologne, barricades were set on fire in Hamburg, and officers in Lyon used tear gas after objects were thrown at them. Despite the violence, many demonstrations took place without significant incidents.
Tens of thousands of people participated in protests across Germany, with demonstrations organized in more than 30 cities at the initiative of the movement “Gen Z Takes Responsibility.”
Protesters demanded increased investment in education and healthcare, measures to ease the cost of living, and an end to plans for compulsory military service. According to Reuters, turnout was lower than organizers had predicted.
Berlin rally ends peacefully before separate protest begins
In Cologne, police canceled a planned march after some participants covered their faces and used pyrotechnics. Protesters were initially allowed to continue holding a rally along the Rhine River, but clashes broke out as the gathering was dispersed, prompting police to deploy a water cannon.
Barricades were reportedly set on fire in Hamburg, while police in Stuttgart halted a march several times because participants had covered their faces and ignited pyrotechnic devices.
In Berlin, the main rally near the Brandenburg Gate ended without incident, according to police, who estimated attendance at approximately 5,000. Organizers claimed that 11,000 people had participated.
Later, approximately 300 people gathered for a separate demonstration at Rosenthaler Platz. Reporters from Germany’s public broadcaster described a group dressed in black and reported that firecrackers had been thrown at police officers.
Organizers of the main rally had already distanced themselves from the second demonstration and urged participants to refrain from violence.
Additional incidents were reported in Bonn, Dortmund, and Essen, primarily involving the use of pyrotechnics. No incidents were reported in Duisburg.
Thousands of people also demonstrated in Munich, Mainz, and Freiburg. A nationwide update issued during the afternoon described most protests as peaceful.
French police prepare for third weekend of clashes
In France, 70,000 police officers and gendarmes were deployed ahead of the third weekend of protests.
The Interior Ministry warned of potential attempts to exploit Halloween celebrations to provoke unrest and engage in looting.
According to preliminary figures released at 2 p.m. local time, 15,000 people participated in 65 protest actions across France, while 27 people were detained or arrested. The figures did not include all demonstrations that began later in the afternoon.
In Lyon, clashes broke out after a march reached Place Jean Macé.
According to the local news website Lyon Mag, groups of protesters vandalized a tram station, threw objects, and fired fireworks toward police officers, who responded with tear gas.
Authorities reported that one person was injured and evacuated, while protesters continued marching beyond the authorized route. Organizers said 20,000 people attended the demonstration.
During the Lyon protest, people were also filmed trampling Israeli and US flags before setting them on fire.
Footage circulating on social media showed three people standing on the roof of a shelter at a public transportation station as onlookers applauded and chanted “Israel is a murderer.”
In Paris, demonstrators marched along an approved route on the eastern outskirts of the city after the Council of State upheld restrictions on the procession.
An update published by Le Monde toward the end of the march reported no significant clashes in the French capital.
In Marseille, several hundred people gathered in the Réformés area despite a ban. An unauthorized march subsequently set off toward Parc Longchamp, and police conducted identity checks at the scene.
Italian police conduct searches after Friday clashes as bins set ablaze in Albania
In Italy, police conducted 60 searches across 23 cities on Saturday targeting suspects accused of inciting violence at demonstrations online.
The operation followed a nationwide strike organized by the USB trade union on Friday, during which marches were held in more than 60 cities.
Most demonstrations remained peaceful, but clashes broke out in Rome and Turin in the evening.
In Rome, protesters threw objects at police officers, set garbage bins on fire, and attempted to advance toward parliament.
Police deployed water cannons, and eight people were detained following attempts to break through barriers.
In Turin, clashes occurred in Piazza Castello and later in the city center. In Milan, protesters blocked the eastern ring road for approximately an hour and a half.
Italy’s Interior Ministry estimated that approximately 255,000 people participated in protests nationwide, compared with organizers’ claim of 1.5 million.
In Tirana, Albania’s capital, dozens of masked individuals set garbage bins ablaze outside the Education Ministry and threw paving stones at police officers on Saturday, according to Agence France-Presse.
Earlier, hundreds of people had demonstrated peacefully at the site, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
In Portugal, thousands participated in demonstrations supporting housing rights in Lisbon and Porto, according to public broadcaster RTP.
Representatives of the ombudsman’s office arrived in Lisbon to monitor police conduct.
No new clashes were reported in those updates.
