As high school student protests began in France last month, footage soon spread on social media of angry parents dragging their children away from demonstrations. They may have good reason for doing so as France considers plans to impose fines on those whose children vandalise or damage property following a similar measure introduced this week in Italy. As young protesters across France were joined by others angry about the rising cost of living and proposed public spending cuts, similar youth-led demonstrations have begun in Italian cities.
Many have turned violent with protesters burning barricades, and police accused of using excessive force. In late September, high school students in the northern Paris suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis began protesting about the state of their school buildings and teacher shortages. They were particularly angry about the proposed government budget which includes millions of euros in cuts to public spending.
Students in Paris, and later in other French cities, erected barricades around their schools and caused hundreds of closures during the first week of October. Later, the protests spread nationwide as public sector workers joined demonstrations to oppose planned pay freezes. Now the protests have widened again, with those angry about the rising cost of living, petrol shortages and fuel prices joining demonstrations which have frequently descended into rioting, looting and arson.
French President Emmanuel Macron said last week that “nothing justifies” violence and that local officials could ban certain street gatherings if deemed necessary. French authorities also announced curfews. But last Saturday, hundreds of thousands of protesters in France, Italy, Spain, Belgium and Portugal took part in largely uncoordinated demonstrations against rising living costs.
Initially peaceful weekend protests in Milan descended into riots, with groups of mainly young people looting shops, smashing windows and clashing with police. Masked protesters threw stones, paving blocks and other objects at riot police and set fire to barricades made from bar tables. Riots were also reported in the Italian cities of Bologna and Turin.
Official figures on the expected costs of the damage in both France and Italy have yet to be established. On Tuesday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government approved a series of measures in response to the unrest, including sending 500 soldiers to Milan until the end of the year and increasing financial liability on parents whose children were involved in vandalism and looting. Under new rules, anyone taking part in a group of at least five people and endangering public safety during protests faces up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of 20,000 euros ($22,460).
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