European governments are facing mounting pressure from a wave of protests across France, Albania, Italy and other countries, with fresh clashes erupting on the streets of Paris and Tirana on Saturday.
More than 800,000 demonstrators took part in the Paris protest, demanding action on the cost of living and increased funding for education. France’s Interior Ministry put the number of protesters in the capital at 410,000.
The demonstration was largely peaceful until its conclusion, when police used tear gas to disperse the crowd. A group of protesters responded by throwing stones and Molotov cocktails.
Nearly 1,000 people were arrested, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez.
French police said masked individuals attempted to break into a car dealership at Vincennes Court.
Clashes were also reported in other French cities. A female protester suffered an injury to her hand in Toulouse, while police used tear gas in Bordeaux, Lille, Nantes and Clermont-Ferrand.
Unions call new protests for 5 November
Trade unions and the Yellow Vests have called for another round of protests on 5 November.
Sophie Binet, head of the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), called on school and university students to join the demonstrations and urged union members to take the necessary measures to protect protesters.
Protesters injured in Tirana clashes
Violence also erupted in Tirana, where police used rubber bullets and water cannon to disperse protesters.
Two demonstrators were rushed to hospital, one with an eye injury caused by a rubber bullet and a woman who was injured when she was hit by water from a police water cannon.
Albania’s Ministry of Health and Social Protection said eight people were being treated in hospital.
They included an MP and a journalist from Albanian broadcaster News24, who suffered extensive burns to his back and was taken to hospital. The journalist was reportedly pepper-sprayed by police.
Police used tear gas in Skanderbeg Square in central Tirana, while protesters responded by throwing stones and fireworks.
A barrage of fireworks was fired towards police and the headquarters of Prime Minister Edi Rama’s ruling party. The Environment Ministry caught fire, according to A2CNN.
The protest had begun around midday, with activists burning chairs that Rama had placed outside his office as an invitation to dialogue and setting up barricades.
Students gathered outside the Education Ministry, where bins were set alight and police responded with chemical agents.
Protesters travelled to Tirana from cities across Albania to join the demonstrations, while police were deployed across the capital, including on rooftops. Water cannon was used to disperse crowds after the first rounds of tear gas.
Protesters injured in Italy
Protests were also held across Italy amid a major security deployment.
Some 500 paratroopers were deployed in Milan and more than 1,500 police officers in Rome, according to Rai.
In Turin, clashes involving police charges and tear gas left protesters injured. A group responded by throwing bottles and fireworks.
In Bologna, police used batons, tear gas and water cannon after stones were thrown, leaving several people injured.
More than 10,000 people demonstrated in Milan amid tensions, while in Rome some protesters managed to enter the Colosseum. Tensions were also reported in Florence.
Italian protesters demonstrated over the housing crisis and the rising cost of living, chanting: “We can’t make ends meet.”
