Europe in the streets: what is really happening this October

The movement began in schools. The first blockades were in Brittany soon after the start of the school year, and on 15 September in Villeneuve-d'Ascq and Caen. In Créteil near Paris, teachers went on strike on 16 September over staff shortages, and the next day pupils at the Saint-Exupéry lycée started their own blockade. One pupil told franceinfo that the teachers had explained the reasons for their discontent and the pupils had decided to join them (franceinfo, 01.10.2026). The demands were concrete: shortages of teachers and nurses, overcrowded classes, run-down buildings.

Data also confirm the teacher shortage. In a survey by the secondary teachers' union SNES-FSU (1,033 schools, data up to 4 September), 53% of collèges and lycées were missing at least one teacher at the start of this school year (SNES-FSU).

The blockades peaked on 1 October. That day the Interior Ministry counted 1,949 arrests and 305 injured police officers and gendarmes, and 1,027 lycées were affected, 222 of them blockaded (ICI, 01.10.2026). By 13 October the Justice Ministry had counted 7,950 people placed in police custody since the movement began, 6,773 of them minors (franceinfo, 14.10.2026).

17 October

The main day was Saturday, 17 October — the first day of the autumn school holidays. The pupils were joined by the "yellow vests", the CGT and Solidaires unions and the small farmers' union Confédération paysanne. The large unions FO and CFDT did not issue a national call to take part, and the largest farmers' organisation, FNSEA, did not take part (France 3, 16.10.2026; CGT).

The Interior Ministry put turnout at about 550,000, including 110,000 in Paris. The CGT union spoke of 800,000 (franceinfo; France 24).

In the evening, protests in many cities turned violent. In Limoges the roof of the burning town hall collapsed, and the prefect said the building was "largely lost" (est en grande partie perdu) (France 24, 17.10.2026). In Paris cars were set on fire and shops looted. The unrest in Paris continued on Sunday evening too (France 24, 18.10.2026).

The figures kept changing all weekend. On Saturday evening the ministry reported about 400 arrests, on Sunday morning 1,800. The Sunday evening tally was 2,397 arrests and 997 injured police officers and gendarmes, 7 of them seriously (ICI, 18.10.2026; France 24). So texts that give lower figures — "about 2,000 arrests" or "500 injured" — are usually quoting interim figures from Sunday daytime. The final count of injured police officers and gendarmes does not include firefighters.

President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation at 8 pm on Sunday: "Nothing justifies it, nothing explains it, nothing excuses it." (Rien ne le justifie, rien ne l'explique, rien ne l'excuse.) He also said that the hundreds of thousands of demonstrators must never be confused with those who wrecked, smashed and looted (Jamais nous ne devons confondre ces derniers avec ceux qui ont détruit, cassé, pillé) (elysee.fr, 18.10.2026).

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez wrote: "Demonstrating is a fundamental right. Sowing disorder with violence and in a concerted way is not." (Manifester est un droit fondamental. Semer le désordre avec violence et de manière concertée n'en est pas un.) (actu17, 18.10.2026)

The next big day has already been called. On 5 November the unions are calling a strike in the public and private sectors, which also backs the pupils' demands (VousNousIls, 06.10.2026).

In all these countries protesters name the cost of living, and this year its biggest driver is energy.

The conflict involving Iran began on 28 February. As early as March the International Energy Agency (IEA) reported that exports of crude and refined products through the Strait of Hormuz had fallen below 10% of their previous level. IEA member countries then agreed on the largest release of oil stocks in history (IEA, 11.03.2026). The ceasefire agreed in June soon broke down (AP, 01.09.2026). In the IEA's October report the conflict is still unresolved (IEA, 14.10.2026).

Brent crude averaged $71 a barrel in February and $114 in September (US EIA).

At the pump it looks like this. In France a litre of diesel cost €2.33 on 12 October; a year earlier it cost €1.61, so the price has risen by 45%. On average in the EU, diesel has become 40% more expensive in a year (European Commission Oil Bulletin).

Euro area inflation in September was 3.8%, against 2.2% a year earlier. The largest contribution comes from energy, which has become 18.9% more expensive in a year; services come next (Eurostat, 16.10.2026).

In September the French statistics office INSEE forecast that household purchasing power would fall by 0.4% this year (INSEE, 10.09.2026).

Italy. On 17 and 18 October the "Italia in Piazza" marches took place against the cost of living, fuel prices and taxes. The movement grew out of a network that started on Instagram on 4 October. In Milan police were pelted with bottles in Via Broletto and with stones in Piazza del Duomo and Via Mazzini, and Piazza del Duomo was evacuated (Sky TG24, 18.10.2026; Il Giorno, 17.10.2026). On Sunday 160 people were taken to Milan police headquarters, 80% of them minors (ANSA, 18.10.2026). Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said: "Demonstrating is a right. Putting our cities to fire and sword is not." (Manifestare è un diritto. Mettere a ferro e fuoco le nostre città non lo è) (Adnkronos, 17.10.2026).

Belgium. In Liège, pupils' protests began on 1 October; the next day secondary schools were closed for safety reasons (Paris Match Belgique, 01.10.2026). The pupils want smaller classes and oppose the rise in university tuition fees and Education Minister Valérie Glatigny's reform. On 17 October 500–600 people gathered at Brussels Central station, and the gathering turned into a riot: barricades, tear gas, water cannon. One car was flipped onto its roof, three were burned, and the Brussels Socialist Party office was attacked (La Libre / Belga, 17.10.2026). Interior Minister Bernard Quintin called it "violence pure and simple, organised and repeated to destabilise our society" (C'est de la violence pure et simple, organisée et répétée pour déstabiliser notre société) (La Libre).

Albania. Student protests in Tirana began on 13 October outside the Education Ministry (BIRN, 13.10.2026). They are part of a civic movement that has been protesting for more than four months against a tourism project in Zvërnec and amendments to the laws on protected areas. The opposition Democratic Party supports the protests but does not organise them. On 17 October police used rubber bullets for the first time (Al Jazeera, 17.10.2026). On 18 October the Health Ministry counted 272 people injured in Tirana over five days: 169 police officers, 82 protesters and 21 passers-by (Euronews Albania, 18.10.2026). Prime Minister Edi Rama blames the violence on the opposition and on "foreign hands" and says: "This is not a student phenomenon"; the opposition rejects this (Al Jazeera, 16.10.2026).

Portugal. Here the main issue is housing. In the second quarter house prices were 16.5% higher than a year earlier. The median rent on new leases in the municipality of Lisbon is €17.79 per square metre (INE, house prices; INE, rents). On the night of 15 October police in Porto cleared a protesters' tent camp. The movement reports 37 injured, the news agency Lusa 39, and the interior ministry's inspectorate is investigating. On 17 October the marches of the union confederation CGTP in Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra were peaceful (RTP). How many took part is unclear. The newspaper Correio da Manhã wrote of tens of thousands, the news agency Lusa of several thousand, and there is no official figure. A national housing demonstration has been called for 14 November (Observador / Lusa, 16.10.2026).

Greece. In Athens on 13 October students pitched tents in Syntagma Square outside parliament. They want lower rents, more student housing and more university funding (Naftemporiki / ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ, 13.10.2026). There were a few tense minutes outside parliament, but I found no reports of clashes with police. A video of a huge crowd in Greece that circulated online in September as recent footage is in fact from the February 2025 demonstrations marking the anniversary of the Tempi rail disaster (Euronews, 25.09.2026).

Is it one movement?

No, at least not yet. Some protesters do refer to France themselves. On its protest day of 16 October the Italian school students' network Rete degli Studenti declared: "After France and Spain, it's our turn" (Dopo Francia e Spagna tocca a noi) (Il Fatto Quotidiano, 16.10.2026). Belgian media write that the Liège pupils rose up under the influence of the French protests (Paris Match Belgique, 06.10.2026). In Albania, however, neither the protesters nor the government mention France, and in Portugal the organisers do not either. What they share is the background — expensive energy, expensive housing, problems in schools. The organisers, the demands and the targets differ from country to country.

A claim circulating online says that "in October anti-immigrant riots broke out in the UK after news of a stabbing" in Belfast, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Southampton. It mixes up three different events.

• Belfast, 9–11 June. On the evening of 8 June a 44-year-old man was stabbed in north Belfast. A 30-year-old man, reported to be from Sudan, was charged with attempted murder. Over the following nights homes, cars and a bus were set on fire, and a Middle Eastern food shop was burned down. On the second night alone 12 police officers were injured (Irish Times, 11.06.2026). The Turkish barber's shop mentioned in the summary was in Ballyclare, not Belfast (Wikipedia).
• Glasgow and Edinburgh, 9 June. In Glasgow two police officers were injured, and three people were attacked because of the colour of their skin. There were also protests in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Ayr (STV, 10.06.2026; STV, 09.06.2026).
• Southampton, 2 June — six days before Belfast. It was a protest after the murder of an 18-year-old and against how police handled the case, not a continuation of the Belfast riots. The judge did, however, call the violence a hate crime driven in part by racist views (LBC).

In September and October the UK saw only small anti-migrant protests; in Gosport, for example, six people were arrested (Euronews, 23.09.2026). I found no riots. The claim of "large" pro-Palestinian marches in London is also overstated. The march on 10 October drew "thousands", and 20 people were arrested (LBC, 10.10.2026).

Inflation in Latvia in September was 3.0%, below the euro area average (Eurostat). Prices are being held down by the reduced VAT rate on bread, milk, poultry and eggs. It is 12% instead of the standard 21% and applies from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 (LV portāls).

Fuel, however, has become more expensive in Latvia, as elsewhere. A litre of diesel in Latvia cost €2.07 on 12 October, against €1.52 a year earlier (EC Oil Bulletin). Regional bus operators had called a one-day strike for 16 September, demanding compensation for higher fuel costs (LSM).

I found no street protests in Latvia in October.