[Anchor]
Protests that began in France to protest soaring inflation, housing instability, and poor educational conditions are spreading across Europe. In Milan, Italy, the protests turned violent, leading to the detention of some 270 people by police.
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.
At the famous tourist spot Duomo Square, protesters and police face off before ultimately clashing.
As the protests escalated into violent clashes reminiscent of urban warfare, 271 people were detained by police in Milan over a two-day period.
After the group leading the demonstrations announced weekly Saturday protests, the Italian government decided to dispatch 500 troops to defend Milan.
Beyond Milan, protests against high inflation and low wages are spreading across Italy to cities like Rome and Bologna. In southern regions such as Naples and Sicily, truck drivers protesting surging diesel prices have staged road and port blockade demonstrations.
Protests by angry citizens are spreading not only in Italy but across Europe as a whole, including Belgium, Portugal, and Albania.
In Portugal, where home prices and rents have skyrocketed recently, protesters have been holding tent sit-ins right in the middle of the capital, Lisbon.
[Tiago Galvao / Portuguese Protester: It is difficult to envision a future—such as securing a home, building a foundation for life, and starting a family—even with a decent average salary.]
In Belgium, high school students have also taken to the streets to protest education budget cuts and rising education costs.
[Drive out the government, police, and dictators!]
In Albania, anti-government protests that began last June have spread to university students 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 very difficult conditions.]
As accumulated public frustration explodes amid chronic financial difficulties, shrinking welfare benefits, and soaring fuel and living costs driven by the fallout from the Middle East war, solutions remain elusive, suggesting that the wave of protests in Europe will not easily subside.
(Video Editing: Kim Byung-jik, Design: Park Tae-young and Lee Jun-ho, Video Source: X @ltalia24HLive)
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