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Europe on edge: Looting in France, clashes in Milan, anger persists in Albania
Three European countries are reeling from violent protests. France is tallying the damage with 2,397 arrests and one protester dead, Milan saw a second day of clashes with more than 200 detained, and Albania’s protests are nearing their second week.
Three European countries are reeling from protests that have turned violent and led to looting in places. After a stormy Saturday night in France, clashes spread to Milan, Italy, for a second day, while Albania has seen a full week of anti-government protests.
Below is the picture in each country, with footage from the heart of events.
France: A heavy toll
France’s Interior Ministry said 2,397 people were arrested and 997 police officers and gendarmes were injured in Saturday’s protests, which drew about 550,000 people. In Paris, police were filmed carrying a protester who had lost consciousness.
BFMTV, citing Paris police, reported that a protester died north of the capital after cardiorespiratory arrest. In a striking scene amid thick smoke, a person in an inflatable costume walked among the flames.
The spire of Limoges’ historic town hall burned and Lyon’s tourist office was set on fire, while TV footage showed a crowd attacking a police car and forcing officers to withdraw.
The next day was less intense, but police resorted to tear gas at Place de la République, and at night a group tried to force its way into a bar.
Shopkeepers paid a heavy price: in Nice, a shop owner trying to protect his store was kicked from behind by a looter.
Another video shows looters taking a motorcycle from a shop.
A clip of a group taking a Real Madrid shirt said to bear Zinedine Zidane’s signature also spread.
Security camera footage shows people climbing at night to enter a private property. It was presented as looting of homes in upscale neighborhoods, but where it was filmed could not be verified.
President Emmanuel Macron vowed to hold looters accountable, said the fuel price rises that fueled the anger were caused by the war in the Gulf, and announced he would visit Gulf states to secure energy supplies. The Élysée rejected Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez’s resignation.
Italy: Milan’s second day
In Milan, hundreds of young people returned to Piazza del Duomo on Sunday afternoon, and police met them with water cannon and tear gas.
ANSA reported that 160 people had been taken to police headquarters by the evening, 80% of them minors, and that detentions over two days passed 200.
Shops around Via Torino, Cordusio and the Castello area were looted, and a group attacked a police car.
In another clip, a shop owner fends off looters with a stick.
By Monday, 14 officers had been injured and 32 of those detained had been formally arrested. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called a public order meeting.
Albania: Anger continues
In Albania, protests over corruption, problems in education and unemployment have continued since Oct. 13, and police in Tirana again used water cannon.
Since the protests began, 272 people, including 169 police officers, have been injured and proceedings have been opened against 388 people. A fire on Oct. 17 spread to the offices of the Supreme Court.
On Sunday night, Molotov cocktails were thrown at a police officer and a police station. Prime Minister Edi Rama refuses to resign.
The days ahead
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is convening a crisis unit, Italy awaits decisions from Meloni’s meeting, and protesters in Albania vow to keep going.
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