Symbolic imageCost-of-living protests turn violent in France and Germany
Protests over prices and youth prospects ended in clashes on Saturday night, with 779 arrests in France and over 100 injured officers in Frankfurt.
France's interior ministry counted 320,000 demonstrators on Saturday, 31 October, down from 410,000 a week earlier; organisers claimed half a million. Police arrested 779 people, including on Halloween night. In Paris, rioters threw a petrol bomb that set a gendarme's uniform alight; Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez called it attempted murder. Jean-Luc Mélenchon told Macron to yield or go, and student groups called blockades for Tuesday and Thursday.
Looting in Frankfurt
Rallies by "Gen Z regelt" in over 30 German cities fell short of the announced 184,000. In Frankfurt, Hesse's interior minister Roman Poseck said hooded rioters damaged 17 shops and looted five; over 100 of 1,300 officers were hurt and 54 people aged 13 to 29 arrested. He estimated 1,000 to 1,500 violent troublemakers, mostly of migrant background, citing police.
Unrest elsewhere in Europe
Zurich police used water cannon after protesters torched containers and a car. Vienna police detained five people; in Lisbon and Porto 13 were arrested and 13 officers hurt. Albanian media report petrol bombs thrown at police in Tirana.