MADRID, Nov. 1 — Another wave of protests swept across major European cities on Saturday, with demonstrators voicing grievances over issues ranging from living conditions to disputes involving public institutions.
Meanwhile, calls for gatherings on social media prompted police to step up security in several cities. Public services, the cost of living and housing affordability remained key concerns in many of the protests.
In France, around 320,000 people took part in a new round of protests on Saturday, including about 70,000 in Paris, according to Interior Ministry figures.
Organizers put the nationwide turnout at nearly 500,000, including 200,000 in the capital. Around 70,000 police officers and gendarmes were deployed nationwide.
Most marches passed off peacefully, although clashes with police and other disturbances were reported in several cities. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told reporters that, according to a preliminary tally, 422 people had been arrested nationwide.
In Germany, demonstrations took place in more than 30 cities on Saturday. Protesters called for greater investment in public services, measures to address the rising cost of living, and opposed compulsory military service.
By late afternoon, organizers reported more than 68,000 participants, based on figures from 12 cities. As in France, the demonstrations in Germany were largely peaceful, but clashes broke out in several cities in the evening.
German news agency dpa reported that police officers were injured in Frankfurt, barricades were set ablaze in Hamburg, and officers came under attack in Bremen.
In Italy, protesters remained camped near Rome’s Colosseum on Saturday following nationwide demonstrations over living costs and public services.
Workers and other groups had joined rallies in more than 60 cities on Friday during a general strike called by Unione Sindacale di Base (USB), Italian news agency ANSA reported.
The union estimated 1.5 million people took part, while the Interior Ministry put the figure at about 255,000. In Portugal, housing protests drew more than 1,000 people each in Lisbon and Porto on Saturday.
In Lisbon, demonstrators marched toward Rossio Square, where they planned to camp overnight. Police had dispersed protest encampments in both cities on Oct. 25. Political grievances also dominated protests in various countries.
In Albania, protests demanding better education, improved living conditions and Prime Minister Edi Rama’s resignation continued for a 19th consecutive day in Tirana on Saturday, according to the Albanian Telegraphic Agency.
Some protesters threw stones and Molotov cocktails at police, who responded with tear gas and water cannons. The opposition Democratic Party backed the movement.
In Poland, an escalating dispute over the composition and leadership of the Constitutional Tribunal brought demonstrators onto the streets of Warsaw.
Protestors gathered outside Warsaw’s Constitutional Tribunal from Friday evening into Saturday, with police reporting four detained during overnight operations around the building, local media reported.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki returned early from a foreign trip and announced urgent political consultations. Elsewhere, social media calls for gatherings prompted heightened security measures.
In the Netherlands, police dispersed a crowd near The Hague Central Station on Saturday afternoon and urged the public to avoid the city center. Local police reported 34 arrests during the day.
The gathering followed online calls for demonstrations in several Dutch cities, some of which encouraged looting and vandalism. Some businesses boarded up their storefronts ahead of the planned gatherings.
In Spain, police stepped up security in cities including Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia on Saturday following online calls for gatherings, local media reported.
The deployments aimed to prevent a repeat of the previous weekend’s unrest in Barcelona, which left 15 officers injured and led to 128 arrests.
Spanish news agency EFE reported on Friday that police had arrested 10 people nationwide on suspicion of inciting unrest and violence through online channels. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
