[Anchor]
Protests that began in France over soaring prices, housing insecurity, and poor educational environments are now spreading across Europe. In Milan, Italy, violent clashes reminiscent of street warfare have led to the detention of 270 people.
Reporter Yu Deok-gi has the details.
[Reporter]
Milan, Italy, on the 18th local time.
Enraged protesters smash store entrances, rush inside, and loot goods.
In the tourist hotspot of Piazza del Duomo, protesters and police confront each other, eventually resulting in clashes.
As the demonstrations escalated into violent unrest resembling urban warfare, 271 people were detained by police in Milan over a two-day period.
With the group that led the protests warning of weekly demonstrations every Saturday, the Italian government has decided to deploy 500 troops to defend Milan.
Beyond Milan, protests protesting high inflation and low wages are spreading across Italy, including Rome and Bologna. In southern regions such as Naples and Sicily, truck drivers are staging road and port blockades to protest surging diesel prices.
Protests by angry citizens are spreading not only in Italy, but across Europe as a whole, including Belgium, Portugal, and Albania.
In Portugal, where housing prices and rents have recently skyrocketed, protesters are holding a tent protest in the middle of the capital city of Lisbon.
[Tiago Galvao / Portuguese Protester: It is difficult to envision a future, such as securing a house, building a foundation for life, and starting a family, even with a decent average salary.]
In Belgium, high school students have taken to the streets to protest education budget cuts and rising tuition fees.
[Down with the government, the police, and the dictators!]
In Albania, anti-government protests that began in June have expanded into university student demonstrations demanding improved educational conditions, leading to government buildings being set on fire and protesters occupying official offices.
[Alisa Braho / Albanian Protester: We live in the poorest country in Europe with the highest prices. Many students are living in extremely difficult conditions.]
Amid chronic fiscal difficulties, shrinking welfare benefits, and soaring fuel and living costs fueled by the aftermath of the Middle East war, accumulated public discontent is exploding. With no clear solutions in sight, the wave of protests in Europe is unlikely to calm down anytime soon.
(Video Editing: Kim Byung-jik, Design: Park Tae-young, Lee Jun-ho, Video Source: X @ltalia24HLive)
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