Protests Over Living Costs Turn Violent in France, Italy, Portugal

In France, around 550,000 people took part in demonstrations nationwide on Saturday, according to the Interior Ministry, while the CGT union estimated the turnout at 800,000. The protests were marked by violent clashes, arson, looting and confrontations between masked demonstrators and police, deepening political uncertainty ahead of elections expected in 2027.

Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters in Paris and other cities. Around 400 people were arrested, according to the Interior Ministry. In the southern city of Saint-Etienne, a male demonstrator lost his hand after a police crowd-control grenade exploded, a police source told AFP.

Violence was reported in several other French cities. In Lyon, protesters set fire to a tourist office, while municipal buildings in Marseille and Lille were forcibly entered and vandalised. In Limoges, flames reached the roof of the town hall following an attack on the building. Dozens of shops were looted in Paris, Marseille, Nice, Bordeaux and Lille, including an Apple store.

In Paris, tens of thousands of people marched through the eastern and northern parts of the city, with some demonstrators chanting slogans against the police and calling for President Emmanuel Macron to resign. A crowd of more than 300 protesters also attempted to move along the Champs-Elysees, where police deployed tear gas to prevent them from advancing.

Macron said on X that those responsible for vandalism, attacks on public offices and businesses, and looting would be prosecuted and punished. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu condemned what he described as violence of extreme intensity.

The demonstrations were driven primarily by the rising cost of living, with protesters also voicing concerns over political leadership, inequality and the growing concentration of wealth. The unrest follows weeks of student demonstrations, during which several young protesters were seriously injured.

Opposition politicians have sought to capitalise on the discontent. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen condemned the looting and attacks on police, while far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon urged demonstrators to avoid looting, describing it as contrary to the movement's methods.

In neighbouring Italy, protests against wars and rising living costs also descended into violence in central Milan on Saturday. Masked demonstrators threw stones, paving blocks and other objects at riot police, set fire to barricades and looted shops, forcing the evacuation of Piazza del Duomo and a luxury shopping arcade.

Police deployed water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowds. At least two police officers were injured, while around 50 demonstrators, including many minors, were detained, the LaPresse news agency reported.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence, saying that demonstrating was a right but setting cities ablaze was not. Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala acknowledged that the reasons behind the protests were understandable but said violence against law enforcement and damage to the city were unjustifiable.

Meanwhile, Portugal witnessed large demonstrations over soaring housing costs, rents and broader economic pressures. Hundreds of protesters gathered at Lisbon's Rossio Square on Saturday night and pitched dozens of tents, pledging to remain overnight in a protest modelled on demonstrations that have gripped neighbouring Spain for weeks.

The gathering followed a march that drew thousands of people nationwide. Many of the predominantly young demonstrators sang songs around the statue of King Pedro IV, demanding government action on housing affordability and living costs.

Portuguese housing prices rose by 124 per cent between 2015 and 2024, roughly twice the European Union average, according to official data. The pressure has been particularly severe for young people and residents of Lisbon, where rents have increasingly become unaffordable for workers and self-employed professionals.

“The Portuguese social class that pays taxes, that which keeps this country going, is under attack and is losing its rights, notably its right to housing,” said Elena Costa, a 46-year-old social assistant, adding that people were struggling to cope with the situation.

Engineer Antonio Margado criticised the centre-right government, arguing that the liberalisation of rents had increasingly favoured property owners over tenants. Another protester, Isabel Guerreiro, told public broadcaster RTP that she could not afford Lisbon's high rents despite being a self-employed professional and a native of the city.

Earlier demonstrations organised by Portugal's main CGTP trade union also called for better public services, pensions and wages, alongside measures to address rising housing costs. Protesters carried placards reading “Their greed, our misery” and “The cost of living increases, the people can't take it anymore.”

Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said earlier in the week that the government understood people's demands for answers and their right to express dissatisfaction with public policies. However, he cautioned political rivals against importing what he described as climates of instability and protest into Portugal.

The demonstrations in Lisbon also expanded a housing protest movement that began in the northern city of Porto, where dozens of tents had been set up. The unrest comes as Spain faces its own housing protests and demonstrations, now entering their fourth week, amid a broader political crisis that has led to an early general election being called for November 29.

The protests across France, Italy and Portugal highlight mounting public frustration over affordability, housing access and economic inequality, with governments facing growing pressure to respond to demands for better living conditions.