Wave of Protests Sweeps Across Europe: Clashes and Arrests in Several Countries

Al-Taj News – Five European countries witnessed a wave of protests on Saturday over the rising cost of living, the housing crisis, and the decline in public services, alongside demands from school and university students, amid clashes and riots in several cities.

The protests took place in France, Portugal, Albania, Belgium, and Italy, where demonstrators expressed their dissatisfaction with living conditions and the housing crisis, while some cities witnessed clashes with police and acts of vandalism.

In France, the country saw the largest demonstrations, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets in various areas amid clashes with police, looting, arson, and the storming of public buildings. Authorities announced the arrest of around 1,200 people and reported that 150 police officers had been injured.

The protests spread to Portugal, where demonstrators set up dozens of tents in the center of the capital, Lisbon, in protest against rising housing and living costs.

In Albania, clashes broke out between police and protesters amid allegations of corruption, a shortage of job opportunities, and declining education quality.

In Belgium, hundreds demonstrated in Brussels and Liège alongside the protests in France, amid incidents of vandalism and clashes with police, who used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.