A second straight weekend of mass protests swept across Europe on Saturday, and this time the unrest did not stop at the French border. From Paris to Barcelona, Rome to Tirana, hundreds of thousands of people marched over living costs, housing, schools and pensions — and in several cities the demonstrations ended in clashes, fires and mass arrests.
In France alone, police detained 1,314 people nationwide, according to the final count from the Interior Ministry. Fifty-three police officers and gendarmes were injured. The government estimated about 410,000 people marched across the country, roughly 110,000 of them in Paris; union organizers put the real turnout close to double that figure.
France: the epicentre
The French protests began weeks ago with students demanding better conditions in schools, and they have since been joined by workers and families angry about the cost of living. On Saturday the government deployed more than 70,000 officers, along with an elite police unit usually reserved for counterterrorism operations.
In central Paris, shop windows were boarded up and several major museums, including the Louvre, stayed closed for the day. Police used tear gas and water cannons along the Cours de Vincennes after projectiles were thrown at officers, and a gendarmerie helicopter supported the operation from above. Authorities reported 75 attempted arsons and 24 lootings.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez blamed the violence on the "radical extreme left, the ultra-left". President Emmanuel Macron had issued a decree earlier in the week allowing only demonstrations organised by recognised trade unions. Left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon criticised the police response, accusing officers of provoking disorder.
Barcelona: bins burned, stores looted
In Barcelona, Spain, protesters set fire to trash bins and looted stores around the central Plaça de Catalunya, leading to clashes with police. Local authorities reported the arrest of 128 people on charges of vandalism and theft — more than half of those detained, 73, were minors.
In Madrid, protesters marched for pension rights, demanding that pension increases be linked to actual inflation, that the minimum pension match the minimum wage, and that the public pension system be protected from privatisation.
Italy: protesters enter the Colosseum
In Italy, major cities including Rome, Milan, Turin, Naples, Bologna and Florence saw demonstrations. In Rome, some protesters clashed with police and even entered the ancient Colosseum. In Milan, where 1,400 military and police personnel were deployed, no looting like last weekend's was reported at luxury stores.
Italian police said they carried out nine arrests and briefly detained 371 people during protests in eight cities on Saturday. Of those taken to police stations, 110 were minors.
Albania, Belgium and Portugal join in
In Tirana, the capital of Albania, thousands rallied in a fresh anti-government protest on Saturday, with police firing tear gas to disperse the crowd. Government buildings were attacked and dozens of demonstrators were detained, in the latest of several clashes between police and protesters since mid-October. Authorities said more than 300 protesters and police have been injured.
In Brussels, Belgium's capital, around 400 protesters took to the streets, resulting in sporadic clashes with police and nine arrests. In Lisbon, Portugal, affordable housing was the main demand, as demonstrators called for greater protection for tenants and improved access to affordable homes.
A continent-wide wave
The unrest reflects mounting frustration across Europe over teacher shortages, unaffordable rents, rising household expenses, unemployment and perceived government corruption. While protesters in France demand improvements in education and relief from fuel costs, those in Spain call for urgent action on the housing crisis, and those in Italy raise wages and public services.
United States President Donald Trump invoked the unrest to criticise France's immigration policies, although the available reporting did not establish immigration as a cause of the protests.
The demonstrations show no sign of stopping: French unions have called further action, and organisers in several countries say the movement will continue until governments answer with concrete measures on schools, housing and the cost of living.
Sources: EuropeSays, 26 Oct 2026; 247 News Bulletins, 26 Oct 2026; Aju Press, 26 Oct 2026; WikiFX, 26 Oct 2026; NewsRangers, 26 Oct 2026.