European Protests: Tirana Clashes, Milan Soldiers Deployed

Protests erupted across multiple European cities on Saturday, with the most severe clashes occurring in Tirana, Albania, and Milan, Italy, where authorities deployed 500 soldiers to prevent a repeat of last week's riots. In Milan, luxury fashion stores boarded up their windows as a precaution, and police made several preventive arrests, including minors, though incidents remained limited. In Rome, security was tightened around upscale shopping streets, and hundreds of students marched peacefully to denounce the previous week's violence. A separate anti-war demonstration in the capital urged participants to keep their faces uncovered and hands visible to avoid unrest, but later clashes broke out as protesters threw fireworks and eggs at police, who responded with water cannons, leading to 96 arrests. Unrest also spread to Bologna and Turin, where police used tear gas and shields to control crowds. In Tirana, police used water cannons against protesters who threw objects and set fires during demonstrations now in their second week, with students demanding lower tuition fees, more education investment, and action against corruption, while some called for Prime Minister Rama's resignation. Elsewhere, Madrid saw peaceful protests over pension reform ahead of next month's elections, Lisbon demonstrators demanded affordable housing, and Brussels reported nine arrests.