Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across France, Belgium, Italy and Portugal on Saturday to protest against rising living costs, low wages and deteriorating public services, with demonstrations turning violent in several cities.In France, an estimated 550,000 people participated in demonstrations over school conditions, rising fuel prices and the cost of living. Dozens of shops were looted in Paris, Marseille, Nice, Nantes, Bordeaux, Limoges, Lille, Toulouse and Strasbourg, according to news agency AFP.Fires continued to burn in Paris late into the evening as groups of protesters were seen in video footage stoking flames in the streets, while riot police used tear gas and baton charges to disperse crowds.Video footage also showed the destruction of a 143-year-old French landmark after rioters allegedly set it ablaze, causing its roof to collapse into the floors below.In Limoges, local officials said two-thirds of the town hall had been destroyed after protesters set fire to its exterior, describing the damage as a “catastrophe for heritage”.At least 195 people had been detained, amid mounting criticism of the authorities’ response to the demonstrations. Earlier in the week, police action left a 14-year-old boy with a fractured jaw. Another officer was captured on camera using a headlock on a girl in Alençon, northwestern France, a move now prohibited by law.The protests follow student-led rallies last month and have since expanded into a broader movement against deteriorating schools, the rising cost of living and what demonstrators see as government inaction.French President Emmanuel Macron condemned “sowers of chaos” for disrupting peaceful protests and warned on Saturday that “those who have broken, attacked (police) prefectures, as well as businesses, looted even our town halls, will be prosecuted and punished.”The unrest extended to other European countries, putting pressure on governments across the European Union.In Brussels, police fired tear gas and used water cannon to disperse demonstrators, accusing them of throwing objects at officers and setting fires. Water cannon were also deployed in Liege, east of the capital, although police did not provide an estimate of the turnout.In Lisbon, tens of thousands of people marched against rising living costs, low wages and the growing difficulty of accessing housing in major cities. House prices in Portugal have more than doubled since 2017, while rents for new leases have risen sharply.Portuguese Parliamentary Affairs Minister Carlos Abreu Amorim said on Friday that the “government will not yield to shouts from the street”. Protesters, meanwhile, accused political leaders of being “out of touch” with their concerns.In Italy, police reported that protesters threw stones and clashed with officers during demonstrations in Milan and Bologna, alongside separate peaceful rallies over the cost of living.
