Hawzah News Agency- streets in several European countries witnessed protests with varying focal points on Saturday — from anger over living costs and inadequate educational facilities in France to the defense of public pensions in Spain, the housing crisis in Portugal, and opposition to the government in Albania.
France: Largest Mobilization
France saw its largest protest gatherings on Saturday. The movement began with demands concerning education conditions but gradually expanded to include wages, pensions, purchasing power, and the defense of public services. Students, university attendees, workers, and trade unions joined the marches, though they did not necessarily share identical demands.
The French Interior Ministry put the number of participants at 410,000, while the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) estimated the figure at nearly 800,000. In Paris, provincial police reported 110,000 protesters, while the CGT cited 250,000.
One statistic revealing the scale of the education crisis concerns class hours. According to data published by the Associated Press, 15.4 million class hours were not held during the 2024-2025 academic year, a problem linked in part to a shortage of substitute teachers. Protesters are demanding the hiring of more teachers and the allocation of broader resources to the education system, as well as the creation of 250,000 additional higher education placements.
Clashes were reported at the end of some marches in Paris, Nantes, Grenoble, and Toulouse. The French Interior Ministry had planned for up to 70,000 police and gendarmerie forces to be deployed nationwide to maintain security and manage the protests.
Spain: Pensions Take Center Stage
In Madrid, thousands took to the streets at the call of the National Coordination for the Defense of the Public Pension System (COESPE) to defend retirees' rights and continued public support. Organizers reported 50,000 participants, higher than the government's figure of 25,000.
The main goal of the mobilization was to protect public pension rights and guarantee pension increases in line with inflation. Participants demanded a minimum pension closer to the minimum wage, a reduction in the gender pension gap, and guarantees against the privatization of parts of the pension system.
The issue extends beyond current retirees. An aging population, low birth rates, and questions over how to finance the pension system in the future have raised concerns among working-age citizens. The matter has taken on significant political weight ahead of Spain's parliamentary elections on November 29, 2026, with parties divided over how to preserve pension levels and ensure the system's financial sustainability.
Italy: Cost of Living, Military Spending, and Security
In Italy, various cities witnessed protests against rising living costs, low wages, the housing crisis, increased military spending, and government policies. In Rome, marchers chanted "Keep Italy out of war," voicing opposition to the country's involvement in wars and military policies. Tensions were reported between some protesters and security forces in Turin and Bologna.
Following clashes the previous weekend in Milan, Italian authorities tightened security measures and deployed 500 additional military personnel to the city. The ANSA news agency reported more than 150 inspections as part of investigations into earlier unrest.
No reliable national figure for the total number of protesters in Italy was published, and figures such as the predicted presence of 10,000 people at some marches were pre-event estimates, not definitive counts.
Belgium: Education and Police Conduct
In Brussels, several hundred people, mostly young, held a protest demanding increased educational facilities and funding, and decrying what they described as excessively violent police interventions in previous protests. Clashes broke out during the gathering, and police used tear gas and irritant sprays against protesters.
Brussels police claimed no major incident occurred and reported the arrest or detention of nine people — five for disturbing public order and four in connection with charges including carrying banned weapons or incitement to violence. These cases concern specific individuals and should not be generalized to all protesters.
Portugal: Housing as a Symbol of Social Crisis
In Lisbon, several hundred people joined a protest march demanding access to affordable housing. The march began near Marquês de Pombal and continued to Rossio Square, with the housing crisis and the growing difficulty of securing shelter emerging as central themes.
The "Acampada de Lisboa" movement demanded more public housing units and stronger legal protections for tenants against speculation in the housing market. According to Reuters, home purchase prices have more than doubled since 2017, and rents for new contracts have nearly doubled. Rising demand in major cities, the expansion of tourism, and a shortage of available housing units have intensified pressure on the market.
Earlier, on October 20, police had cleared protest camps in Lisbon and Porto, resulting in the arrest of 55 people — a figure related to that earlier operation, not the October 24 march. Protesters also oppose the government's plan regarding tenant evictions and regulations on rent caps for new contracts.
Albania: Students Challenge Rama's Government
In Albania, protests have been accompanied by broader political and social demands. Students and other citizens, frustrated by high education costs, limited job opportunities, and administrative corruption, have challenged the government and demanded accountability for the country's economic and social problems.
Some protesters are calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has held power since 2013 and was elected to a fourth term in 2025. On Saturday in Tirana, anti-government protests escalated into tensions, and a fire broke out at the entrance to the Ministry of Agriculture. Police used tear gas, water cannons, and plastic bullets to disperse the crowd.
While government officials and protesters offer differing accounts of the crisis, the protests reflect discontent among segments of society over economic conditions, limited job opportunities, and government performance. No reliable aggregate figure for the number of participants in Saturday's demonstrations has yet been published.
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