School conditions, housing costs and the cost of living have brought demonstrators on to the streets in several countries
Young people have been taking to the streets in countries across Europe, including Spain, France and Portugal, to protest over their unhappiness at the state of schools and the wider cost of living crisis.
In France, high school pupils have clashed with police in often violent protests over long hours, missing teachers, dilapidated classrooms and an opaque university admissions system. Pupils routinely miss months of teaching due to unfilled staff absences.
Other demonstrators have then joined student marches to voice their unhappiness about rising living costs, including over fuel prices after US bombing caused the effective closure of the strait of Hormuz.
The General Confederation of Labour (CGT), one of France’s largest unions, has backed the protests and called for lower prices, higher pensions and boosted wages.
French president Emmanuel Macron is nearing the end of his time in the Élysée Palace after serving two terms.
Over the Pyrenees in Spain, activists took to the streets in September over housing prices.
The protests were triggered by the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her home after an investment fund hiked her rent by 230%. Maricarmen Abascal died a fortnight later after being admitted to hospital.
Protesters have called for lower rents, an end to evictions and a ban on investment funds buying property.
Similar pleas were made across the Iberian border in Portugal on Saturday, with hundreds gathering in central Lisbon.
Portuguese housing prices rose by 124% between 2015 and 2024, roughly twice as fast as the EU average, according to official data.
Squeezed household budgets were also at the centre of marches in Milan.
A march on Saturday began peacefully but ended with masked rioters throwing stones, paving blocks and other objects at riot police and setting fire to barricades made from bar tables.
Meanwhile, protests in Albania against the prime minister, Edi Rama, entered their sixth day on Sunday.
Demonstrators have said they are unhappy with perceived corruption, a lack of jobs and poor education standards.
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