Politics · 2026-10-31 · Morning briefing
France deploys 70,000 police as youth protests spread across Europe
France is deploying 70,000 police and gendarmes for a third consecutive weekend of protests over living costs and education. The move follows demonstrations that drew 550,000 people on October 17th, resulting in widespread looting, and a more peaceful gathering of 410,000 last weekend that still led to over 1,300 arrests. President Emmanuel Macron has ordered marches to be kept out of city centers, with Paris police confining demonstrators to the capital's outer boulevards.
The unrest is not confined to France. In Germany, a youth initiative called “Gen Z regelt” has organized rallies in 30 cities, with 140,000 people signing up online to protest for affordable living and against military conscription. In Barcelona, Catalan police are on high alert after a TikTok network urged new gatherings; rioting there last Saturday led to 130 arrests, mostly of minors.
Italian police are on alert after clashes in Milan, Turin and Bologna, while calls to protest have circulated on TikTok in Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and Portugal. The deployments reflect a continent-wide challenge for authorities, as multi-issue youth movements organized on social media spread across borders faster than they can be contained by traditional policing.
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