Hundreds of thousands protest across Europe over living costs and services

A wave of demonstrations swept across Europe on Saturday, October 31, as hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to protest rising living costs, inadequate public services, and various institutional grievances.

In France, the Interior Ministry reported around 320,000 participants across the country, with approximately 70,000 in Paris, marking the third consecutive weekend of large-scale protests since October 17. Youth unions and student organizations reported higher figures, citing nearly 500,000 nationwide participants including 200,000 in Paris. The French government deployed around 70,000 police officers and gendarmes to maintain security. While most demonstrations remained peaceful, clashes erupted in several cities as protesters dispersed. In Paris, confrontations near the Porte de Charenton—the authorized march endpoint—saw protesters throwing projectiles at police, who responded with tear gas. Preliminary figures indicated 422 arrests nationwide, though some sources reported at least 290. Public transport was disrupted, with the Paris metro operator RATP closing more than 40 stations.

Demonstrations also spread across other European nations. In Germany, protests occurred in more than 30 cities, with organizers reporting more than 68,000 participants by late afternoon. German protesters called for greater public service investment and opposed compulsory military service. Police used water cannons in Cologne to disperse large crowds. Evening clashes were reported in several German cities including Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Bremen, with injuries to police officers and arson incidents recorded.

Protest activity extended to Italy, where activists remained camped near Rome's Colosseum following demonstrations over living costs and public services. A general strike on Friday drew competing attendance figures: unions estimated 1.5 million participants across more than 60 cities, while the Interior Ministry reported approximately 255,000. Demonstrations also took place in Albania (entering its 19th consecutive day), Poland (focused on Constitutional Tribunal disputes), Portugal (housing protests in Lisbon and Porto with over 1,000 participants each), and Spain, where heightened security measures were implemented in Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia. In the Netherlands, police dispersed gatherings near The Hague Central Station, making 34 arrests following online calls for demonstrations that some encouraged looting and vandalism.

The underlying causes cited by protesters across Europe included the rising cost of living, insufficient funding for education and public services, housing affordability, and in some cases specific institutional or political disputes. French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu held meetings with student unions and indicated the government was exploring measures to address living costs, though protesters expressed skepticism about government responsiveness.