Mass Protests Erupt Across Italy, Spain, and France
Youth and workers across Italy, Spain, and France are staging mass demonstrations and strikes to protest austerity, housing costs, and crumbling public infrastructure.
A wave of social unrest has swept across Southern Europe, with hundreds of thousands of youth and workers demonstrating against austerity and the rising cost of living. In Italy, Giorgia Meloni faces widespread protests following October 30 demonstrations in Milan, Turin, Bologna, Naples, and Rome. Organized by the radical USB union and supported by youth movements, protesters targeted the government over housing, healthcare, and budget cuts that eliminate thousands of teaching and support staff positions. While the Italian General Confederation of Labour has called for a general strike on November 20, some organizers are calling for more radical action to overthrow the government.
Similar unrest has paralyzed Spain and France. In Madrid, the eviction of an 87-year-old woman by a corporate fund triggered a housing crisis movement, resulting in over a thousand tents being pitched in Puerta del Sol. This unrest coincides with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez calling for early elections. Meanwhile, France is experiencing its largest high school student movement in history, with students and teachers protesting underfunded schools and crumbling infrastructure. Authorities in both Spain and France have responded to the occupations and protests with tear gas and stun grenades.
