France's President Emmanuel Macron hit back at United States President Donald Trump and other foreign leaders on Wednesday, accusing them of making "unacceptable and stupid" comments about recent street unrest in his country.

The US president had blamed Muslim immigrants and radical Islam for the violence seen across France over the weekend, urging Macron to "close your borders and take control".

The French government has admitted it "lost control" of the violence that shocked France and plunged Macron into crisis six months before elections to choose his successor.

Macron said there was no evidence of foreign interference in the riots themselves but accused foreign politicians of exploiting the unrest for their own domestic campaigns. He also warned that AI-generated videos and online manipulation had fueled misinformation in the aftermath.

"We have people who explained that we have been invaded by hordes of migrants and Islamists, which is totally false," Macron told reporters during a visit to Doha, Qatar.

"For me, there is no visible foreign interference in the events that took place. On the other hand, there was foreign manipulation of information which led to unacceptable and even stupid comments by many, including foreign leaders."

When asked if he was referring to Trump, Macron said, "Among others, but he is part of it."

Trump had seized on the unrest at campaign events this week in the US, blaming Muslim migrants without evidence. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also weighed in with criticism ahead of his own election next weekend, saying France had been hit by an "invasion of extremist Islam".

Macron added that some leaders "in the middle of election campaigns, whether here in the region or on the other side of the Atlantic" were "naively spreading narratives that certain circles are clearly trying to promote".

The French president said the individuals were "using our country for their own political campaigns. And we don't need that. We already have difficulties to deal with".

The president continued, saying, "You know, at times like this you see who loves France and who does not. All the people — it has to be said — all the people who are running down our country right now are people who don't love our country. So these people get on my nerves."

While denouncing the violence that turned some demonstrations into street battles, Macron pledged to "hear and respect the concerns, the disagreements".

jonathan@mail.chinadailyuk.com

The wave of protests and unrest that swept through France and several other European countries in recent days may soon subside, but the economic pressure and widespread frustration that caused it remain.

For Laurent Mazzarolo, a train driver living in Paris, the demonstrations reflect the growing difficulty ordinary people face in maintaining their living standards, as prices rise and purchasing power weakens.

"Ten years ago, you could live quite comfortably on a salary of 2,000 euros ($2,247) a month. Now, even with 3,000 euros, life can be quite difficult, especially in Paris," he said.

"Before, you could go to a restaurant four or five times a month. Now, maybe once or twice, or sometimes not at all. People have less money to enjoy themselves, and that means less social interaction," he said.

Even with a stable job, Mazzarolo said he struggles to balance his monthly expenses, despite cutting back on leisure spending, and that makes him particularly concerned about people in younger generations, who face difficulties in securing a place at their preferred university and in pursuing the careers they want.

"They cannot imagine their future," he said. "I can understand why people are frustrated about the cost of living, but I don't like the way it's being expressed through violence. For me, that's not the right way."

Similar concerns are being voiced in Madrid, where the rising cost of housing has left young people worried about the prospect of living independently.

Rocio, an 18-year-old student who lives with her parents and brother, said she joined a protest because she fears she may eventually be unable to afford a home of her own.

"The prices just keep on getting higher, and I know by the time I can live on my own, they will be even higher," she said.

Richard, a Frenchman living in Brussels, Belgium, has similar fears.

"Today, when I go to (the supermarket) to buy three items, say a pack of milk and some cereal, I pay 15 euros," he said. "If you're a parent, the question arises: how can you teach your children that quality matters, and what values are you truly able to pass on? Ultimately, for someone like me in a comfortable income bracket, the question comes down to one word: dignity. Can you live with dignity when you work? That is, can your work enable you to pay your bills and provide for your children's needs, while still looking at life with some sense of hope, rather than being driven solely by day-to-day necessity?"

Economic indicators illustrate the situation. According to Eurostat data, annual inflation in the area that uses the euro for currency rose to 3.8 percent in September, after having been 3.2 percent in August. Energy prices increased in September by 18.8 percent year-on-year, after having been 14.3 percent the previous month. The high cost of energy is widely believed to add disproportionate pressure to lower-income households, leaving them less money for food, healthcare, education, and housing.

Rising rent

According to Deutsche Bank Research Institute's report Mapping the World's Prices 2026, a household with two earners receiving average local net salaries in Lisbon, Portugal, would have just 253 euros left each month after renting a three-bedroom apartment in the city center, which is the smallest amount of disposable income recorded among 28 European cities surveyed.

The pressure is also evident in Brussels, where the average monthly rent for newly signed leases through real estate agencies rose from 1,113 euros in 2021 to 1,376 euros in 2025, according to the CIB-Korfine Rental Barometer. That represents an increase of approximately 23.6 percent in four years, adding 263 euros to the average monthly rental bill for newly contracted properties.

Yan Xiaoxiao, an associate researcher at the Institute of International Relations at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, who is conducting research in Europe, said the protests across the continent point to a common economic dilemma.

"With economic growth slowing, governments are finding it increasingly difficult to meet public expectations for living standards and social protection," he said. "On the one hand, people expect governments to improve public services and provide more public goods to ease the pressure on their daily lives. On the other hand, governments are under pressure to reduce fiscal deficits."

Yan noted that the current wave of protests has involved people from different age groups and occupations, reflecting discontent that extends beyond any single section of society. Past protests have tended to attract participants from specific sections of society.

"The latest unrest can be seen as an expression of dissatisfaction that has accumulated since its last breakout," he said.

"I paid 18.50 euros for a tube of eye ointment and 11.50 euros for a simple meal at McDonald's," Yan said. "I can't imagine my financial pressure if I were to live here for a long time."

Li Zhengdong, an associate professor at the Institute of Central and Eastern European Studies at Ningbo University, who is on an academic tour in Europe, noted: "The real test facing Europe today is not simply whether governments can contain street violence, but whether they can prevent mounting socioeconomic tensions from escalating into divisions between different social groups and, ultimately, a political crisis."

Back in Paris, Mazzarolo said he suspects "the government is doing what it can, but not enough".

He said policymakers should strive to be "closer to the people" and "act like normal people".

"Sometimes, we have the feeling that politicians are living on another planet," he said. "Even if you don't have the solutions, at least show more empathy."

Asked what he expects the government to do after the protests end, 22-year-old Jorge Salas in Madrid replied: "Right now, nothing. For years, we haven't received a real answer or any meaningful help. The demonstrations are about more than housing costs. They also reflect concerns over education, access to public services, and the opportunities available to ordinary people."

Salas pointed to the financial burden the purchase of schoolbooks places on low-income families, saying that providing children with a good education should be a government priority.

"We need books, we need food, we need help to buy a house and start a family," he said. "We are not simply asking for a better life. We are asking for a chance to improve our lives."

Huang Xiaodi contributed to the story.

Contact the writers at zhangzhouxiang@chinadaily.com.cn.

PARIS -- French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that the government recommends that no demonstrations be held across the country in the coming days, particularly on Saturday.

Speaking after a security council meeting, Macron said the government intended to prohibit requests to organize gatherings by people "who have no legitimacy to do so." For trade union marches formally notified to local authorities, alternative routes would be proposed to protect city centers, he added.

The prefecture of the Rhone department has banned all demonstrations in Lyon for Saturday, French television channel BFM TV reported.

In Marseille, the prefect of the Bouches-du-Rhone department announced a temporary ban on all demonstrations across the department on Saturday, no matter whether they had been formally notified to the authorities, BFM TV reported.

The nighttime curfew in the department has also been adjusted to run from 11 pm (2100 GMT) to 5 am (0300 GMT) at the nights from Saturday to Sunday and from Sunday to Monday, and will apply to adults as well as minors since Saturday night. All public transport across the Marseille metropolitan area will be suspended from 5 am (0300 GMT) on Saturday to 5 am (0300 GMT) on Sunday, the report said.

In Toulon, a city in southern France, authorities have banned demonstrations in the city center from 11 am (0900 GMT) to 11:59 pm (2159 GMT) Saturday. A temporary curfew for unaccompanied minors will also be in force in the city center from 6 pm (1600 GMT) Saturday to 6 am (0400 GMT) Sunday, according to BFM TV.

In the city of Nice in southeastern France, the prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes department has banned all gatherings, marches and protest demonstrations in the city center from 8 am (0600 GMT) to midnight (2200 GMT) on Saturday, citing risks to public order and violence.

In Paris, a demonstration scheduled for Saturday between Place de la Bastille and Place de la Nation, organized notably at the initiative of the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), will be allowed to proceed, the Paris police prefecture said Thursday.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said Tuesday that the government would deploy soldiers from the French army's Operation Sentinelle to help prevent violence during the demonstrations announced for Oct 24.

Hundreds of tents have sprung up in central Madrid as protesters stage a peaceful demonstration against Spain's housing crisis. Sparked by the death of an 87-year-old woman after being evicted from the apartment she has been renting for 71 years, the protest has continued for more than three weeks, with demonstrators vowing to stay until the government takes further action. China Daily's reporter speaks with protesters and takes a look inside their campsite.

Reporter: He Xiating
Video editor: Han Jing, Liao Enli (intern)

Thousands of protesters returned to central squares in Lisbon and Porto on Tuesday, vowing to continue their campaign against Portugal's deepening housing crisis hours after police cleared tent camps before dawn and arrested 55 people.

Activists had occupied Lisbon's Rossio Square since Saturday, erecting around 200 tents, while Porto's Dom Joao I Square had been occupied for 10 days.

The camps mirror housing protests in neighboring Spain and coincide with wider unrest over living costs and public services erupting in France, Belgium and Italy.

In France, authorities extended localized curfews after the country's worst rioting in years over the weekend led to more than 2,400 people being arrested and nearly 1,000 security personnel injured.

Italy's government deployed 500 soldiers to Milan and approved tougher penalties for riot-related offenses after protests descended into looting and clashes with police.

In Spain's capital Madrid, activists remain camped out after nearly four weeks of protests that have contributed to political turmoil and prompted a snap general election for Nov 29.

The common thread is economic pressure — rising fuel and energy prices, unaffordable housing, stagnant wages and deteriorating public services — though the triggers and government responses have varied.

French authorities extended curfews in several cities and towns, including parts of Paris, on Tuesday night after restrictions on Monday night helped restore calm. The southern city of Nice extended its restrictions through Sunday.

France's Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Tuesday promised a "massive" security deployment for Saturday as "Yellow Vest" activists and students prepare new demonstrations.

Lecornu was due to meet representatives of five major unions on Wednesday to discuss protecting the right to protest while preventing a repeat of the past weekend's violence and looting, Agence France-Presse reported. The unions have called separate strikes and rallies for Nov 5.

Facing angry lawmakers in Parliament on Tuesday, Lecornu acknowledged the government's response to the chaos had been inadequate and promised a stronger approach.

Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, who leads polling for next year's presidential election, called the unrest a "wake-up call" exposing a "profound crisis" of authority. Lecornu blamed "ultra-left radical groups" for pursuing an "insurrectionary plan".

Lawmakers agreed on Tuesday to launch a parliamentary inquiry into possible intelligence failures and the government's preparedness.

jonathan@mail.chinadailyuk.com

ATHENS -- Students, teachers, civil servants and pensioners staged protests across Greece on Wednesday, calling for increased funding for public education and healthcare, higher wages and pensions, and measures to ease the rising cost of living.

In Athens, approximately 10,000 people marched to the parliament, according to national broadcaster ERT. Demonstrators carried banners and chanted slogans including "Bread, Education, Freedom." Students had set up tents in Syntagma Square, opposite the parliament on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday's main rally.

The mobilization was organized by university student and school pupil associations, along with unions representing teachers, university staff and civil servants. Pensioners also joined the demonstration. Similar protests were held in more than 50 cities across the country.

ADEDY, the umbrella federation representing Greek civil servants, called a strike for Wednesday and expressed solidarity with similar protests in France, according to a press statement.

School pupils also voiced support for the French protests, chanting "From Greece to France, we fight for public and free education" and pointing to challenges facing young people in both countries. The protesters in Syntagma Square also chanted "Give money to schools, not to wars."

Protesters called for urgent action to address rising education costs, inadequate student accommodation, poor infrastructure, insufficient funding for public services, and low wages and pensions.

School pupils also voiced concerns about overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, increasing academic pressure and a lack of free time.

Online reselling platform Vinted has taken down listings of items thought to have been looted from shops during the weekend's riots across France.

About 3,000 shops were targeted and Small Businesses Minister Serge Papin held a meeting with marketplace officials and government representatives after stolen goods began to appear for sale online.

Digital Minister Anne Le Henanff said "stolen items from this weekend are being offered for sale on certain platforms … we expect these platforms to remove the listings in question without delay".

A Vinted representative told the BBC the company had acted swiftly.

"Since this weekend, our teams have taken immediate action to identify and remove listings linked to the looting, and we have stepped up monitoring of suspicious listings," they said. "When our rules are breached, we act against the accounts involved, up to permanent bans."

Hundreds of millions of euros' worth of damage was reported after protests, initially over the cost of living, but coming on top of another protest about school funding, degenerated into violence.

Finance Minister Roland Lescure has said the government will provide support for shopkeepers and craftspeople affected by the disturbances, but Patrick Martin, head of business confederation Medef, said the state had already "failed" in its duty.

"It is up to the state to cover (operating losses of those who are uninsured) because we pay taxes, including to ensure that law and order is maintained," he told RMC radio.

Several prestigious fashion house shops in Paris were targeted.

One shop employee told the Financial Times newspaper the police had been unprepared, and on the back foot in the face of the mob.

"My kids have social media and they seemed to know it was going to be war out there this weekend," they added.

Another eyewitness quoted by The Guardian newspaper drew a direct line between the initial protests about the underfunding of the country's schools, which led to demonstrations last week, and the weekend violence and looting.

"The groups breaking into shops aren't hostile to passersby, so you'd see local residents walking down the street on their way home late at night, and masked teenagers running past in the other direction carrying looted goods," she said. "It's so strange — it's like two different universes in parallel worlds. It says a lot about society — it shows we have neglected our education system and that we're living in a consumer society where all we say to our young people is: 'buy, buy, buy'. In this type of extreme capitalism, some people don't have enough money to buy all of this and so they attack."

Authorities across France extended partial curfews on Tuesday after overnight restrictions helped restore calm following violent weekend protests.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said curfews imposed in several cities on Monday had "helped keep the night calm", adding that new restrictions would be introduced wherever needed.

"These decisions will be made on the ground, by the prefects, in coordination with the mayors," he said on Tuesday.

The measures followed the government's admission that officers had "lost control" during Saturday's protests, which drew hundreds of thousands onto the streets over the cost of living and deteriorating public services.

Laurent Mazzarolo, 31, a train driver living in Paris, told China Daily that rising petrol prices were a growing burden for commuters, while tight budgets forced people to buy the cheapest food.

Life in France has worsened over the past five years, he said. "Everything costs more now, and people are struggling," he said, citing inflation, the conflict in Ukraine and other global crises.

Beyond economic hardship, Mazzarolo said, many people were frustrated by what they saw as a government unwilling to listen. "They don't feel their voices are being heard. We have no confidence in our government, so people go to the streets to express themselves."

Emergency talks resumed on Tuesday, with officials meeting social media platform representatives amid accusations that online disinformation had fueled the violence.

After an emergency cabinet session on Monday, Lecornu announced the "local and partial" curfews, ruling out blanket restrictions on entire cities. Four northern cities — Lille, Douai, Wattignies and Denain — imposed curfews for minors from 8 pm to 6 am on Monday and Tuesday nights.

Paris also imposed an overnight curfew on Monday, banning gatherings at Place de la Republique, where clashes erupted on Saturday, and in the looted Les Halles shopping district. The southern city of Nice also enforced an overnight curfew.

The weekend riots left cities scarred just six months before France elects a successor to President Emmanuel Macron. Nearly a decade after taking power with promises of economic reform and a stronger presidency, Macron is now a lame-duck leader presiding over political paralysis and acute financial strain.

"The end of this term is a slow agony," Loic Kervran, a former lawmaker from Macron's camp, wrote on X, calling the president's 2024 decision to dissolve parliament "arguably the worst decision in the history of the Fifth Republic".

Michel Steiger, a Parisian in his 40s, told China Daily that he supported the protests but condemned those exploiting them to vandalize property and loot, saying they undermined the cause.

Younger generations faced growing hardship, particularly over housing and living costs, he said. "I don't think the government is doing enough, and I feel that there is very little that can be achieved under the current government."

As the next presidential election approaches, Steiger added, political parties are "either capitalizing on the current situation or being cautious about taking action that could hurt their chances of winning".

Breaking point - What is behind the outbursts of violent public protest across Europe?

PARIS -- French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Tuesday that targeted curfews had helped maintain calm overnight Monday, as authorities extended restrictions in several cities ahead of further protests scheduled for Saturday.

"Targeted curfews contributed to a calm night," Lecornu said on X, adding that new curfews would be imposed on Tuesday evening wherever necessary.

In Paris, the police prefecture announced a curfew in certain neighborhoods from 11 pm Tuesday (2100 GMT) to 6 am Wednesday (0400 GMT), following restrictions imposed overnight on Monday.

In Marseille, a curfew will run from 10 pm Tuesday (2000 GMT) to 5 am Wednesday (0300 GMT). The measure will be enforced nightly through Friday, French television channel BFM TV reported Tuesday, citing local authorities. A similar curfew will also be enforced in Lyon.

Addressing the National Assembly on Tuesday, Lecornu said police deployments for new demonstrations planned for Saturday would be "massive." He acknowledged shortcomings in the security arrangements during the previous weekend's unrest, saying the response had been too static and insufficiently mobile.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said Tuesday that the government would deploy soldiers from the French army's Operation Sentinelle to help prevent violence during the demonstrations announced for Oct 24.

LISBON -- Portuguese police arrested 55 protesters for civil disobedience, and two people were injured in the early hours of Tuesday, as security forces moved to dismantle camps of housing rights protesters in public squares in Lisbon and Porto.

In Lisbon, the public security police intervened at Praca D. Pedro IV to remove tents set up by the Acampada de Lisboa movement. The 55 arrests were made among protesters who allegedly resisted when officers cleared the site.

In Porto, however, demonstrators vacated the square voluntarily without the need for coercive intervention.

Bruno Pereira of the National Police Officers Union said authorities had tried "in every way, with sensitivity, tolerance, understanding, negotiation and successive warnings, to avoid the need to use force."

Police also pledged to protect demonstrators from those who might "contaminate the protests," signaling concerns over external elements joining the movement.

The housing protests have been ongoing for more than 10 days in Porto and have spread across multiple Portuguese cities, with demonstrators calling for laws to curb real estate speculation and demanding government action on housing affordability.

The movement has also called for a joint Iberian general strike on Nov 11 in coordination with similar housing protests in Spain.

BRUSSELS -- Protests have erupted in some European countries in recent weeks amid a housing crisis across Europe.

In Spain, demonstrators have pitched tents in central Madrid to protest soaring rents and evictions. Similar encampments have appeared in Portugal, where tens of thousands marched through Lisbon on Oct 17, demanding relief from rising living costs and a deepening housing crisis. France, Italy and Belgium have also witnessed protests over a broader range of economic and social grievances.

While the protests have different causes, housing has emerged as a major source of discontent.

For Claudia, a young professional in Madrid, the Spanish capital, the problem is deeply personal. Despite holding two university degrees and working in the documentary industry, she still lives with her parents.

"It's simply impossible," she said when asked about living independently. Her father, she recalled, could rent a 70-square-meter apartment in Madrid for less than 100 euros a month when he was 18. For her generation, even education and employment offer no guarantee of similar independence.

Housing costs are a particular flashpoint in Spain and Portugal, but the squeeze is being felt across Europe.

A CRISIS BEYOND FOUR WALLS

In Budapest, finding a rental apartment can feel like a race against time. A woman searching for accommodation in the Hungarian capital told Xinhua that a property she had been interested in was rented out before she could even arrange a viewing.

Some landlords also impose strict requirements. "If you don't meet these requirements, you won't even get a chance to see the apartment," she said.

Between 2013 and 2024, house prices in nominal terms increased by more than 60 percent across the EU, growing faster than household income, with a number of member countries experiencing average increases of more than 220 percent, the Council of the EU said on Oct 19. More than 1 million people across the bloc are estimated to be homeless.

Young people are particularly vulnerable. Eurostat data show that 26.9 percent of young people aged 15-29 in the EU lived in overcrowded households in 2025. The overcrowding rate for young people was 10.1 percentage points higher than for the total population.

In Spain, average monthly rent reached 1,176 euros ($1,317), equivalent to 98.7 percent of the average monthly wage of a young person, according to the Spanish Youth Council.

The consequences have extended to education.

"We are facing the risk of a new form of social selection," Matthias Anbuhl, chair of the executive board of the German National Association for Student Affairs, said. "It is no longer simply talent and academic interest that determine which university someone can attend, but whether they can actually afford the rent in that city."

In France, only 45 percent of people aged 18 to 30 lived independently in 2025, according to the country's National Institute for Youth and Popular Education.

French economist Maxime Sbaihi pointed out that high housing costs and inadequate living space can discourage young adults from having children, potentially delaying parenthood and leading to smaller families.

Housing costs can also put better jobs out of reach. An International Monetary Fund study warned that declining housing affordability was restricting labor mobility and economic opportunity, making it harder for workers to move to areas offering better jobs.

SUPPLY LAGS BEHIND

For Edin, who works in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, homeownership has become an increasingly distant prospect. He said property prices in the city had almost doubled over the past four years.

Across Europe, housing supply has struggled to keep pace with demand, particularly in major cities.

Germany completed just 206,600 homes in 2025, down 18 percent from the previous year and the lowest number since 2012. The average time between building permits and completion rose from 20 months in 2020 to 27 months in 2025, according to Germany's Federal Statistical Office. The German Tenants' Association estimated a nationwide shortage of around 1.4 million homes.

Spain faces a similarly severe imbalance. Bank of Spain Deputy Governor Soledad Nunez estimated that the cumulative housing shortage since 2021 had reached approximately 755,000 units. She projected a further shortfall of about 300,000 units between 2026 and 2028.

Construction costs are one obstacle. In Poland, producer prices for new residential buildings rose 36 percent between 2021 and the third quarter of 2025, compared with an EU average of 24 percent, according to the European Commission.

Building permits are another obstacle. The Dutch government's coalition agreement says lengthy approval procedures and overlapping regulations mean new housing developments can take years to build.

Labor shortages and higher financing costs also make it harder to expand housing supply.

NO QUICK FIX

European governments are under pressure to make housing more affordable for renters and buyers alike. Many are searching for ways to offer relief now while tackling a shortage that has built up over years.

Increasing supply is central to the Dutch government's response. Its coalition agreement acknowledges that the Netherlands has repeatedly missed its target of building 100,000 homes a year and promises a stronger central government role in planning and construction.

Making better use of existing buildings offers another way to ease housing shortages. But many vacant properties are not fit to live in. More than half of vacant dwellings in Portugal, about 350,000 units, are thought to require medium-scale renovations to become inhabitable, according to the OECD.

For those at greatest risk, the immediate priority is keeping a roof overhead. A recommendation adopted by the Council of the EU on Oct 19 called for emergency rental assistance and earlier intervention to prevent homelessness, alongside investment in new and renovated affordable housing.

For European governments facing public anger, the test is whether their policies bring an affordable home within reach.

PARIS - Multiple French cities have announced curfews which will start since Monday evening after incidents of looting and violence during weekend protests, French media reported.

In Paris, a curfew will be imposed from 11 pm Monday (2100 GMT) to 6 am Tuesday (0400 GMT) around the Place de la Republique and in streets surrounding the Les Halles area, French television channel BFM TV reported, citing local authorities.

In Lyon, local authorities have decided to impose a curfew from 9 pm Monday (1900 GMT) to 6 am Tuesday (0400 GMT) in part of the Presqu'ile de Lyon, an area in the city center, BFM TV reported.

The prefect of Nord department in northern France has imposed a curfew in parts of Lille, Wattignies, Douai and Denain from 8 pm (1800 GMT) to 6 am (0400 GMT) for the next two days starting Monday, BFM TV reported, citing Matignon, the French prime minister's office. The decision was made with the agreement of all the mayors concerned.

In Nice, a city in southeastern France, Mayor Eric Ciotti announced on social media platform X that a curfew for minors would take effect at 9 pm Monday (1900 GMT).

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said at a news conference on Monday that partial curfews would be introduced in some areas since Monday evening.

Around 550,000 people took part in protests across France on Saturday. A total of 2,397 people were arrested during the protests marred by violence, according to figures released by the French Interior Ministry on Sunday. A total of 997 police officers and gendarmes were injured, seven of them seriously.

France's Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu convened an emergency cabinet session on Monday after more than 2,400 people were detained during two days of unrest across the country.

Earlier in the day, President Emmanuel Macron rejected the resignation of Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, who had acknowledged that police had "lost control" of demonstrations, which first erupted last month over rising living costs and deteriorating conditions in schools but have now expanded.

Nearly half a million people took to the streets on Saturday, according to authorities, with organizers claiming figures closer to 800,000. Some 110,000 marched in Paris alone.

Most demonstrators gathered peacefully to protest, but the mood turned violent after masked, black-clad groups appeared among the crowds, the BBC reported.

Around 1,500 businesses were ransacked and destroyed, and police responded with tear gas, water cannon and baton charges. The Interior Ministry said about 1,000 officers were injured, seven of them seriously.

Vehicles were set ablaze across Paris and other cities in some of the worst disorder in years. In the central city of Limoges, flames destroyed the 19th-century town hall, in an apparent arson attack that caused its roof to collapse.

Looting was reported in Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Rennes, Strasbourg and elsewhere. More than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured.

Addressing the nation on Sunday, Macron condemned the "shocking scenes" and those he called "dissenters" who had vandalized cities.

"Those who looted will have to pay for the damage, and those who sought to bring down the Republic will be held accountable," he said.

Officials at the Elysee Palace said that Macron refused Nunez's resignation to ensure "continuous command of the law enforcement forces in the current context".

Political opponents, trade unions and critics on social media have accused Nunez of failing to prepare adequately and deploying too few officers ahead of Saturday's planned demonstrations.

Yael Braun-Pivet, president of the lower house of Parliament, has called for an inquiry into the security failures.

Speculation had mounted that Macron might impose a curfew or declare a state of emergency to restore calm. Instead, the president used his televised address to appeal for national unity and promise that perpetrators would face justice. French media criticized the speech for lacking concrete measures.

Prefects and mayors will be granted additional powers to ban gatherings, Macron announced, adding that a review would examine possible failings in intelligence or police preparedness. Sunday passed without major incident.

Protests in Albania

France was not the only country facing unrest over the weekend. In Albania, Prime Minister Edi Rama refused to resign after six days of violent anti-government protests in the capital Tirana.

Demonstrators are demanding action over poor university conditions, high tuition fees and corruption. The unrest follows earlier protests against a resort development, linked to United States President Donald Trump, in a protected area.

Police fired tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets as crowds attacked a police station, the interior ministry, and Socialist Party headquarters with rocks and Molotov cocktails, Euronews reported.

Authorities urged protesters to distance themselves from masked agitators and assemble peacefully.

Police spokesman Albert Nushi said a Tirana police station came under attack, putting officers and those detained in custody at risk.

"An attack on a police station is not a protest. Violence against police officers, attacks on institutions, and actions that endanger human lives cannot be tolerated," he said.

Nushi called on demonstrators to avoid masked agitators and "assemble in a peaceful manner".

jonathan@mail.chinadailyuk.com

Law enforcement agencies in Albania, Belgium, and Portugal have grappled with anti-government protests amid growing anger over Europe's worsening cost-of-living crisis.

In Albania, protesters have taken to the streets for several consecutive days to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, while in Portugal, several housing rights movements and trade unions took part in demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday to demand lower prices, better wages, and affordable housing. In Belgium, cost-of-living protesters in Brussels and Liege fought on Saturday with police officers who deployed water cannons and tear gas.

The demonstrations, which flared as police in France arrested about 1,800 people after violent weekend protests, follow Europeans being hit by rapidly rising prices, fuel shortages, and a lack of affordable housing.

In Portugal, a spokesperson for the CGTP union confederation behind Saturday's protests told the Portuguese cable news channel SIC Noticias: "Faced with the rising cost of living, housing, and fuel, even a basic shopping basket has reached an exorbitant price."

Tiago Oliveira, the CGTP's general secretary, told the Lusa news agency the protesters had no choice other than to take part in demonstrations because of the "brutal increase" in housing prices and in the cost of living.

Oliveira said citizens also wanted "to fight against the government's policies" that have caused what he described as the "degradation of public services".

In Belgium, protesters in Brussels threw stones and bottles at police, a journalist from the Agence France-Presse news agency said.

Belgium's Minister of the Interior Bernard Quintin said on Saturday the demonstration was "no longer simply a protest".

"It is pure and simple violence, organized and repeated with the aim of destabilizing our society," he wrote in a social media post.

He added that "all necessary measures will be taken to restore order in the face of the rioters".

The violent protests flared in Belgium after high school students had demonstrated over the rising cost of education.

Protesters in Albania complained of broken bones and other serious injuries after clashes with police in the capital city Tirana on the weekend.

Albania had seen several months of peaceful protests, but violence flared on Tuesday and has since intensified.

"There is no stepping back now," The Independent newspaper quoted an activist called Ervin Goci as saying. "This will continue. The protests will widen and will intensify."

The Tirana protests saw officers in riot gear fire water cannons and rubber bullets on the weekend at protesters gathered behind barricades of burning garbage bins.

But despite the unrest, the country's prime minister has vowed not to stand down, telling the Reuters news agency: "Governments are changed through democratic elections. We had elections last year, not a revolution. My responsibility is to listen, address legitimate concerns and keep Albania moving forward."

French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed that people involved in violent disturbances across the country on Saturday "will be prosecuted and punished", after a protest that began over funding of the country's school system turned into a wider, more angry movement.

About 1,800 people were arrested over the weekend in France as protests turned to riots and looting in many regions.

Tear gas and water cannons were deployed by police against masked protesters in several cities, with reports of cars being set alight and buildings such as town halls being targeted.

A police compound in the southwestern city of Bordeaux was vandalized, and there was widespread looting across the country. In Saint-Etienne, it was reported that a protester had his hand blown off by what was described as a police crowd control grenade. A similar incident had occurred earlier in Lens, in which a 15-year-old sustained the same type of injury.

The violence comes as contenders are starting to gather momentum in the early stages of race for the country's presidential election, which will take place in April and May. The law states that Macron cannot seek a third consecutive term.

"No room for violence in our Republic," Macron wrote on social media on Saturday night.

"Those who have broken, attacked the prefectures as well as businesses, looted even our town halls, will be prosecuted and punished … to the law enforcement forces, guarantors of the right to demonstrate, I express the support of the nation."

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu also expressed his disgust at the violent scenes. "Peaceful demonstrations have their rightful place in our Republic. Arson, looting and attacks have no place whatsoever," he said.

"Today, ultra-left groups have orchestrated violence in several French cities; delinquents have joined in to pillage and destroy."

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said more than 1,800 people had been arrested during Saturday's protests, which had left over 500 police and firefighters injured.

Marine Tondelier, leader of the country's Greens party, said Nunez should resign over the police response, which she called an "absolute disaster".

"Unable to anticipate an adequate security setup guaranteeing the safety of people and property, Laurent Nunez is clearly overwhelmed by the situation, whose scale he has evidently underestimated," she said.

Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said the majority of demonstrators had wanted to "march calmly", but had seen their protests used as a cover for "acts of vandalism".

ROME -- Protests against the rising cost of living turned violent on Saturday in several northern Italian cities, including Milan, Bologna and Turin, leaving dozens of people injured, according to Italian media reports.

In Milan, hundreds of young people dressed in black besieged Piazza del Duomo in the city center, throwing firecrackers and bottles at police. At least four police officers and 20 protesters were injured in the clashes, and about 50 demonstrators were detained in the city, according to the Italian news agency ANSA.

In Bologna, police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowds. Four minors were arrested, and 36 law enforcement officers were injured or suffered bruises in the clashes, ANSA reported, citing a police update.

In Turin, police detained 12 people, including 10 minors, following clashes with protesters, local media reported.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence in a social media post on Saturday evening, saying, "Demonstrating is a right. Setting our cities ablaze is not."

PARIS -- French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said Saturday that about 550,000 people took part in the protests across France.

Speaking on French media BFMTV, Nunez condemned the violence that occurred during the gatherings, noting that there have been approximately 400 arrests, and 60 members of the internal security forces were injured on Saturday.

According to French media reports, the demonstrations brought together farmers, climate activists, trade unions and students, expressing demands on fuel prices, the cost of living, education and public services.

Nunez reported numerous attacks on public buildings, police stations, and businesses during the demonstrations, referring to intrusions or attempted intrusions at city halls in Marseille, Lille, Calais and Angers, as well as actions at prefectures, notably in Bordeaux.

He also said that opportunistic offenders took advantage of the demonstrations to loot shops in several cities.

The protests disrupted public transport. The Paris public transport operator RATP announced on its website that the services on more than 10 metro lines in Paris had been temporarily suspended and several stations were closed.

The Louvre Museum announced a limit on the number of visitors on Saturday, while the Orangerie Museum admitted only visitors with reservations.

Noting that there is no place for violence, French President Emmanuel Macron said on social media platform X that "those who have engaged in destruction, attacked government offices and businesses, and even looted our town halls, will be prosecuted and punished."

Macron also expressed his support to the law enforcement officers, saying that "we will stand united against those who sow chaos, whose only goal is to tear down our institutions and who prevent others from peacefully expressing their grievances."

TIRANA -- Protests in Albania continued on Saturday, which have escalated into violent clashes with police and left government buildings, banks, businesses and public facilities damaged in the capital Tirana.

The latest wave of protests began on Oct 13, when students gathered outside the Ministry of Education to demand better university conditions, lower education costs and improved youth employment prospects, according to local media.

Clashes broke out that afternoon, when some demonstrators threw stones and other objects at police and government buildings. Police responded with tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds. The situation remained tense into Friday evening, with large numbers of riot police deployed to disperse protesters.

Widespread damage was caused to public institutions, banks, businesses and public facilities in Tirana. The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Justice and the central bank were among the institutions targeted.

Albanian police said on Friday that 56 people had been arrested in connection with the unrest, while another 97, including 16 minors, had been placed under criminal investigation.

The protests have spread to several cities across the country, further deepening political divisions between the government and the opposition over the unrest.

Prime Minister Edi Rama said he would not yield to violence and accused the opposition of seeking to exploit the protests to destabilize the country, according to Albanian media reports.

The latest protests have unfolded amid the broader "Flamingo" movement that began in late May. According to local media reports, the movement initially focused on opposition to a proposed tourism project in a protected coastal area in southern Albania linked to Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The movement later expanded to address concerns over corruption, the cost of living, health care and education.

UN agencies in Albania called on all sides on Friday to end the violence, ease tensions and resolve differences through dialogue.

Demonstrations swept across France on Tuesday as teachers and parents took to the streets with high school pupils on the biggest day of what Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu described as ​the most violent student protest in decades.

University students and even parents have now joined in, with some of the demonstrations degenerating into violence, and the police using tear gas and water cannons to control crowds.

Police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse violent groups on the fringes of marches in Paris, Strasbourg, Rennes and Toulouse, among other cities. The marches drew more than 250,000 people in dozens of cities, the interior ministry said, though organizers said 450,000 had participated.

In one incident in the northern city of Lens, a 15-year-old had his hand blown off in a confrontation between police and demonstrators, as a result of which the police have been told to stop using stun grenades. In another incident near Paris, a police officer has been charged after a 14-year-old suffered a double fracture to his jaw.

Figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development show that France has the largest class sizes in the European Union, with an average of 25 pupils per teacher in state schools in 2024, compared to 24 in Spain and Germany, 19 in Finland and 18 in Poland. A report last year by the French government also highlighted significant teacher shortages in core curriculum subjects.

The BBC quoted a British parent living in France, called David, as saying he was "shocked over how underfunded the education system is", and that the strikes by teachers and protests by students did not come as a surprise.

Huge pressure

"The pressure on the teaching staff is huge, so I see lots of teachers stressed out, screaming at the kids all day long, and little positive engagement with pupils," he said, adding that teachers were poorly paid and it felt as if the education system had suffered from underinvestment for many years, under several governments.

According to the country's Education Ministry, 86 percent of high schools across France were open on Wednesday morning, but in 528 schools, classes had been either partially or totally suspended, although this was a significantly smaller number than the previous day.

The France 24 news website published pictures from the confrontations, showing students holding up signs with slogans such as "we're skipping our lessons to give you one".

Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the left-wing La France Insoumise party, said the government had "tear gassed and clubbed (students) to create chaos and violence", but Lecornu rejected this suggestion, saying police were told to behave with proportionality, and only forced into action because of the violence they faced.

"Speaking of 'police violence' to suggest that there would be political instructions for repression is false… the situation is serious enough without needing a cowardly political class fanning the flames to incite violence and orchestrate chaos for electoral gain," he added.

Agencies contributed to this story.

julian@mail.chinadailyuk.com