How protests spread across Europe: The science of collective action

Protests over school funding and living costs have spread across Europe since October 2024, with France as the epicenter, drawing hundreds of thousands and triggering arrests, while similar youth-led movements have emerged globally. The French wave began with student demonstrations against under-funded schools, escalating to a national protest on October 17 that saw at least 1,800 arrests. Protests subsequently broke out in Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Albania, with some demonstrators explicitly citing French influence. Sociological research explains protest growth through threshold models, where individuals join based on how many others participate. News coverage and social media facilitate spread, while shared economic pressures like spending cuts can trigger simultaneous uprisings across borders.