Symbolic imageCost-of-living unrest spreads to Spain as Italian protests stay small
Barcelona saw about 100 arrests after youth riots, while Italy's protests stayed small under heavy security.
Hooded demonstrators looted shops and set fires around Plaza de Catalunya in Barcelona on Saturday evening, 24 October, after a social media call to a movement "against the system" using the slogan "Institut Indignats", echoing France's student protests. Catalan interior minister Núria Parlon said about 25% of those arrested were minors, with more than 30 fires set and 14 stores vandalized or looted. Mayor Jaume Collboni said guardians of minors involved could face legal consequences.
Italy: small marches
Le Monde reports only a few thousand people marched in Rome and Milan, largely peacefully, after the government sent 500 soldiers to Milan and decreed fines for parents of minors who cause damage. Police reported nine arrests and 371 brief detentions, 110 of them minors. Student groups criticised the security response, while the government approved fuel aid for truckers and fishermen.
Brussels skirmishes
Reuters reported skirmishes between protesters and police at anti-government demonstrations in Brussels.
Other opinions
Breitbart describes the Barcelona riots as imitation looting with little political motive, while Le Monde and Telesur link the unrest to living costs.