Violent protests over rising living costs and public services spread beyond France into neighbouring Belgium and Italy on Saturday. Police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse crowds as demonstrators clashed with security forces, looted shops and set property on fire. The unrest in France left one demonstrator dead, injured more than 500 police officers and led to nearly 1,800 arrests, according to the interior minister.
In Belgium, clashes broke out between protesters and police in Brussels and Liège. In Italy, violence erupted in central Milan, where masked demonstrators threw stones and paving blocks at riot police, set fire to barricades and damaged property. The unrest came as France grappled with one of its most violent days of demonstrations in years, driven by anger over rising prices, school conditions and declining public services.
Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin condemned the violence in Brussels, describing it as an organised attempt to destabilise society. He said federal police were supporting local forces and warned that all necessary measures would be taken to restore order.
“NO, what is unfolding in Brussels is no longer mere protest! It is pure and simple violence, organised and repeated to destabilise our society. The federal police are in support of the local police.
All necessary means will be used to restore order in the face of the rioters,” Quintin posted on X.
In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also condemned the violence after demonstrations in Milan descended into clashes, detentions and property destruction. Police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowds, while at least two officers were injured and around 50 demonstrators, including several minors, were detained, news agency LaPresse reported.
The violence forced police to clear Milan's Piazza del Duomo and a luxury shopping arcade, areas that would usually be crowded with shoppers. The march, organised against wars and rising living costs, had begun peacefully before masked protesters attacked police and set fire to barricades made from bar tables. Images from the aftermath showed a severely damaged carabinieri vehicle.
“Demonstrating is a right. Setting our cities ablaze is not,” Meloni wrote on social media, criticising “hooligans who exploit demonstrations to sow chaos, attack those responsible for ensuring security and hold entire cities hostage.”
Milan's centre-left mayor, Giuseppe Sala, acknowledged the concerns behind the demonstrations but condemned the destruction. “The reasons for the protests were understandable. The violence against law enforcement and serious damage to the city are not justifiable,” he said.
Meloni also drew a distinction between peaceful protesters and those involved in violence during nationwide rallies. “I have great respect for the thousands of people who today demonstrated peacefully, including those who took part in the mobilisation called by the CGIL, which also saw the participation of left-wing leaders,” she said. “Whatever the ideas for which one demonstrates, participation is the foundation of any healthy democracy.”
France faces mounting pressure after deadly unrest
France remained at the centre of the unrest on Sunday as authorities began assessing damage across the country following Saturday's demonstrations. The protests brought together more than half a million people in cities nationwide, with peaceful marches giving way to violence in several locations.
One demonstrator died after suffering a cardiac arrest during protests in Paris. Police arrested around 1,800 people across France, including a record 855 in the capital, while more than 500 officers were injured, the interior minister said.
Violent groups targeted public buildings, looted luxury boutiques and supermarkets, and attacked police vehicles and officers. A town hall in Limoges, a building that is 143 years old, was partially destroyed in an arson attack. In Bordeaux, a masked mob entered the residence of the local prefect, while the city's mayor, Thomas Cazenave, said up to 100 shops had been looted.
A large clean-up operation began in cities across France, including Lille, Marseille, Strasbourg and Bordeaux. In Paris, smashed shop windows, burnt-out bicycles and graffiti marked areas where demonstrations had turned violent.
The protests initially emerged last month over poor school conditions and teacher shortages in working-class suburbs. They later expanded into a wider movement against inequality, public spending cuts, rising fuel prices and the declining purchasing power of households.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 550,000 people had taken part in the demonstrations, including 110,000 in Paris. He said police had made 400 arrests over vandalism charges, while subsequent nationwide figures put the total number detained at nearly 1,800.
President
Emmanuel Macron vowed action against those responsible for violence and looting, while defending the right to peaceful protest.
“No room for violence in our Republic. Those who have ransacked, attacked the prefectures as well as businesses, looted even our town halls, will be prosecuted and punished,” Macron wrote on X. “To the law enforcement forces, guarantors of the right to demonstrate, I express the support of the Nation. We will all stand united against the sowers of chaos, who seek only to bring down our institutions and prevent those who peacefully express their demands from doing so.”
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said the government would not be intimidated by violence, blaming the unrest on the “ultra-left” and criminals. Economy Minister Roland Lescure promised support for businesses affected by the destruction and said those responsible would be held accountable.
“Those who break things will pay, repair the damage and be held accountable for their intention to sow chaos,” Lescure said.
The unrest has added to pressure on Macron and his government ahead of next year's presidential election. Former figures from France's Yellow Vest movement are also expected to join demonstrations in support of high-school students, French media reported.
The Yellow Vest movement began in 2018 in response to rising fuel prices and economic inequality. Its demonstrations drew thousands onto the streets and were marked by violent clashes with police. More than 2,500 protesters and 1,800 police personnel were injured in those confrontations.
The latest demonstrations have once again exposed the challenge facing European governments as public anger over living costs and public services intersects with wider political grievances. While many people have taken to the streets peacefully, violence in France, Belgium and Italy has prompted authorities to warn against attacks on police, public institutions and businesses.