Crackdown on Protests, Silence on War

From Paris to Tirana, police confront demonstrators as anger over living costs and state repression grows. Critics accuse European governments of shielding Washington and Tel Aviv while ordinary people face the economic fallout of the war on Iran.

PARIS/BRUSSELS -- Police fired tear gas at demonstrators in Paris on Sunday as fresh clashes erupted amid France's nationwide protest crisis.

Albanian security forces confronted anti-government protesters in Tirana and Italian authorities dealt with detentions and injuries following demonstrations against the cost of living.

The unrest comes as the economic fallout of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran adds to pressure on European households, while critics accuse European governments of shielding Washington and Tel Aviv from meaningful political consequences for an aggression that threatens energy supplies and regional stability.

In France, police again deployed tear gas near Place de la République on Sunday, a day after more than 500,000 people joined demonstrations across the country, according to Reuters.

More than 2,000 people were arrested over the weekend and more than 600 police officers were injured, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said. One protester died after suffering cardiac arrest during demonstrations in Paris. Fires, looted shops and extensive damage to public buildings were reported in several cities.

In Tirana, thousands of demonstrators gathered outside government institutions as protests against Prime Minister Edi Rama entered their sixth day. Police responded to attacks by some protesters with tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets.

Police said 388 people had been charged with criminal offences during the demonstrations, while scores of officers and protesters had been injured. Rama rejected calls to resign, arguing that the protests threatened Albania's aspirations to join the European Union rather than his government.

In Italy, cost-of-living demonstrations left 25 people injured in Milan, including 10 police officers, according to local reporting cited by Euronews. Around 50 people were detained after clashes in the city center, while tensions and injuries were also reported in Turin and Bologna.

In Brussels, protesters had clashed with police on Saturday, who used water cannon and tear gas.  

The protests have exposed a widening confrontation over economic hardship, government spending and the use of force against demonstrators. They have also intensified criticism of European governments' positions on the war against Iran, as campaigners demand that European leaders use their diplomatic influence to halt the aggression rather than allow its economic and security consequences to fall on ordinary people.

Sunday's confrontations in Paris followed one of France's most turbulent protest days in years. The demonstrations began with student demands for more teachers, better school facilities and improved access to education, but expanded into a broader mobilization against rising living costs and deteriorating public services.

The scale of the police response was reflected in the arrest figures and damage reported nationwide. Hundreds of shops were damaged, while businesses in several cities faced looting and destruction.

In Limoges, an arson attack largely destroyed the city's historic town hall, a building that had stood for 143 years. In Bordeaux, businesses and public property were also damaged.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez blamed extremist groups and criminals for the violence. Business owners demanded compensation, while local officials warned that the costs of reconstruction would place additional pressure on already strained municipal budgets.

But the police violence has also become a subject of scrutiny as demonstrations continue.

The French government was in crisis talks on Sunday and President Emmanuel Macron was scheduled to address the nation on Sunday evening following the unrest.  

Politicians on the left and right called for the resignation of the interior minister after the government appeared to have been caught by surprise by the scale of violence as state buildings were stormed and torched, bus stops smashed, roads barricaded and shops broken into and destroyed.

In Brussels, demonstrators protesting against the cost of living and government policies clashed with riot police on Saturday. Officers used water cannon and tear gas to disperse crowds as confrontations escalated in the Belgian capital. Protests were also reported in Liège.

Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said the events had gone beyond ordinary protest and described the situation as violence. Protesters are raising concerns about economic hardship and policies they believe are worsening their circumstances.  

The clashes formed part of a broader wave of demonstrations across Europe.

Italy saw some of the weekend's most serious confrontations outside France. A march in Milan began peacefully on Saturday before masked demonstrators threw stones, paving blocks and other objects at riot police. Barricades made from outdoor furniture were set alight, and a police vehicle was badly damaged.

Police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse crowds. At least 25 people were injured in Milan, including 10 police officers, and around 50 demonstrators were detained, according to Euronews. Further tensions and injuries were reported in Turin and Bologna on Sunday.

The protests focused on the cost of living and economic pressures facing Italian households. The confrontations have placed the government's handling of public dissent under scrutiny, while the damage has affected residents, businesses and public infrastructure.

In Portugal, a housing protest in Porto ended in clashes after police moved to remove tents. Protest organizers said at least 35 people were injured during what they described as a police crackdown, according to Euronews.  

Housing affordability has become a central concern in Portugal, where rising rents and property prices have placed pressure on low- and middle-income households. A separate demonstration in Lisbon over the weekend included a tent encampment calling for action on the housing crisis.  

The housing protests differ from the clashes over education and public spending in France, but they reflect a related dispute over access to essential needs.

For protesters, secure accommodation has become increasingly difficult to obtain, while police intervention against encampments has added a confrontation over how authorities handle people demanding relief.

The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has added to the pressure on European energy markets, with disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz raising concerns about the supply of oil and liquefied natural gas.

Higher energy costs can feed into transport, manufacturing, food distribution and household bills. The impact varies between countries and depends on energy contracts, government subsidies, taxes and the duration of supply disruptions.  

Critics have questioned whether European governments have done enough to oppose the aggression and prevent further escalation.

In an opinion article, Le Monde correspondent Claire Gatinois criticized European governments' reluctance to condemn the U.S.-Israeli intervention, stating that their response raised serious questions about their commitment to international law. The article characterized the aggression as a violation of the UN Charter.

The European Council on Foreign Relations has likewise stated that European governments should resist alignment with Washington and Tel Aviv over the war and pursue an independent diplomatic approach.

Its analysis, published in an article titled Strategic Lunacy: Why Europeans Must Stand Up to Trump's Illegal War in Iran, contends that European leaders have political and diplomatic choices available to them rather than simply accepting the direction set by Washington.