France rocked by second wave of protests with nearly 1,000 arrests; soldiers deployed in Milan as young people march across Europe

Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets of France in a second wave of protests against the deterioration of the education system, the rising cost of living and growing inequality. Most of Saturday's (24 October) nationwide demonstrations were peaceful, but clashes broke out at night between protesters and police in Paris and several other cities, and nearly 1,000 people were arrested across the country during the day. Large demonstrations also took place the same day in Italy and many other European cities.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the government had deployed more than 70,000 police and paramilitary personnel to keep the situation under control. Noting that overall violence was lower than the previous week, he said about 2,700 people had been detained the week before and many shops had been looted.

This time, extra security at shopping centres and businesses kept damage far lower. The main march in Paris ended peacefully, but towards the end around 500 identified rioters and several thousand hardline activists gathered and clashed with police for more than two hours.

In Cannes and Montpellier, far-right activists were seen on the streets for the first time, trying to insert themselves under the pretext of protecting businesses or to clash directly with far-left groups. The interior ministry ordered police to remain on maximum alert through Sunday.

The protests began with demands from high school students, who called for better school conditions and an end to staff shortages. The movement later turned violent in places, and with the cost of living rising, trade unions and opposition parties joined Saturday's demonstrations.

The same day, thousands of young people marched in several Italian cities including Milan, Rome and Turin. Authorities deployed large numbers of police and soldiers in a largely successful bid to prevent a repeat of the previous week's violent clashes and looting. Milan's demonstration remained peaceful, but there were brief clashes with police in Rome and Turin.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced a raft of measures, including sending an additional 500 soldiers to Milan and tougher penalties for minors, who police said made up a large part of the previous week's violent protesters. The soldiers joined hundreds already stationed in Milan, supporting about 5,000 police and security personnel, and police detained several minors in Milan as a preventive measure.

Luxury boutiques in Milan's fashion district, including Omega, Tiffany and Gucci, boarded up their windows and the Apple store shut, though most shops had reopened by late afternoon. Authorities used drone surveillance, checks at railway stations, rapid-response units and online monitoring for potential calls to violence. One group of protesters dumped manure outside Italy's energy regulator and burned a symbolic oversized electricity bill.

Mayoral hopeful Pierfrancesco Majorino joined the Milan marchers and remarked on how peaceful the day was; he will contest a centre-left primary in early 2027. The current centre-left mayor, Giuseppe Sala, in office since 2016, is not running again. Protesters ended their march peacefully outside the Milan Polytechnic, more than three kilometres from the city centre.

The previous weekend, rioters had smashed into stores around the central Duomo square, targeting sneakers, athletic wear and sporting goods — a memory that drove this week's heavy security. Measures extended beyond the city centre over concerns protesters could move into other neighbourhoods.

Officials said they were investigating a 30-year-old freelance journalist described as the mastermind of the newly formed October 17 movement, the main driver of the recent protests in Italy. In Rome, right-wing student groups also marched in opposition to left-wing student protests, with groups across the political spectrum on the streets the same day.

While France has claimed most international attention, large demonstrations also rocked Madrid, Lisbon, Tirana and many other European cities on Saturday. The protests span issues from education and corruption to anti-war sentiment, pensions and housing, and are becoming a growing pressure on governments across Europe.