France, Italy Hit by Riots as Palestinian Flags Appear
By The Media Line Staff
Demonstrations over rising prices, education, and public spending turned violent in several European countries on Saturday, October 17, with Palestinian flags also appearing at protests in France and Italy. Masked rioters fought police, set fires, and looted businesses, although most marchers remained peaceful.
France recorded one death after a demonstrator suffered cardiac arrest in Paris. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said Sunday that more than 600 police officers, gendarmes, and firefighters were injured and more than 2,000 people were arrested. Authorities have not published a comprehensive civilian injury toll.
The government estimated 550,000 people participated nationwide, compared with organizers’ estimate of 800,000. In Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, and other cities, rioters attacked officers and damaged buildings. An arson attack largely destroyed Limoges City Hall, while fresh clashes erupted in Paris on Sunday.
Palestinian solidarity was visible within the wider French demonstrations. Photographs showed protesters carrying Palestinian and French flags at Place de la République, and graffiti reading “Free Gaza” appeared on a shuttered Paris storefront.
The demonstrations began in September with complaints about school conditions and teacher shortages, before drawing labor unions, Yellow Vest activists, and people protesting the cost of living.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu blamed radical left-wing groups and criminals for much of the violence. Authorities have not established that Muslim or Islamist organizations directed the riots. President Emmanuel Macron was scheduled to address the nation Sunday evening.
In Milan, a march opposing wars and rising living costs included Palestinian flags and keffiyehs. Violence broke out when masked groups threw stones at police near the city’s cathedral, looted shops, and erected burning barricades. Clashes also occurred in Bologna and Turin.
Italian authorities said 141 security personnel were injured nationwide, and 28 people were arrested. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the destruction.
“Demonstrating is a right. Setting our cities ablaze is not,” she wrote.
Pro-Palestinian groups have held separate demonstrations in Italy in recent weeks, including marches calling for restrictions on trade and cooperation with Israel.
In Belgium, police used tear gas and water cannons during unrest in Brussels linked to education costs and antifascist activism. Authorities reported 150 arrests and five officers with minor injuries. Students also demonstrated in Liège.
Albania’s protests were directed against alleged corruption, poor education, and Prime Minister Edi Rama. The Health Ministry reported 272 injured over five days in Tirana, including 169 officers, 82 protesters, and 21 bystanders.
Thousands marched peacefully in Portugal over housing costs and wages. The demonstrations across Europe were separate movements with different demands, rather than a single coordinated uprising.
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