European Protests Turn Violent: Hundreds Arrested in France
Violent clashes erupted at protests across several European countries over the weekend, leading to hundreds of arrests, primarily in France, alongside injuries and property damage. In France, around 410,000 people protested on Saturday, with nearly 1,000 arrests reported by Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. Demonstrations, initially focused on school funding, expanded to include cost-of-living concerns, with authorities blaming far-left groups for rioting, tear gas, and looting. Elsewhere, protests in Albania turned violent as demonstrators set a ministry on fire, while Barcelona saw around 100 arrests, including minors, after youths looted shops. Smaller protests occurred in Belgium and Italy, with scattered clashes reported.