Protests by French high school students, initially sparked by complaints over poor educational conditions, are spreading across generations and regions.

In France, workers outraged by skyrocketing living costs, surging fuel prices driven by the Middle East conflict, and government austerity measures have joined the student-led protests in large numbers, reviving the nightmare of the "Yellow Vest" movement that shook the country for months eight years ago.

According to Agence France-Presse (AFP) and other reports, more than 500,000 workers, students, and regular citizens poured into the streets in major cities on the 17th (local time), including Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Nantes, and Strasbourg, denouncing soaring prices, government austerity policies, and the resulting deterioration of public services.

Flames, tear gas, and water cannons filled downtown areas of major cities as some protesters wearing masks and face coverings clashed fiercely with riot police.

France experienced a turbulent day as the violence-marred protests left about 150 police officers injured and roughly 1,200 protesters arrested.

In the southwestern French town of Limoges, the city hall building was engulfed in flames following attacks by protesters, while in the second-largest city of Marseille, downtown shops and a police station sustained damage.

In the third-largest city of Lyon, a tourist information center was set on fire by fireworks and other objects thrown by protesters, plunging several regions into chaos.

President Emmanuel Macron issued a stern warning that actions such as vandalism of public property and looting would be punished.

With hundreds of thousands of people responding to and joining the rallies encouraged by the "Yellow Vest" movement leadership, speculations are rising that the massive protests that swept the nation and cornered the Macron government eight years ago might be restarting in earnest ahead of next year's French presidential election.

The protests originating in France have already crossed borders into neighboring countries such as Italy, Belgium, Spain, and Portugal. Parts of Western Europe are now engulfed in the cries of angry crowds protesting high inflation, soaring housing costs, substandard education, and deteriorating public services driven by government austerity.

In Italy, large-scale rallies were also held in major cities including Rome, Milan, Turin, and Bologna on the same day to protest soaring prices, low wages, and poor public services.

In Milan, plumes of tear gas drifted through the city center as protesters and police clashed violently, while deep tension hung over the entire cities of Turin and Bologna.

A day earlier in Italy, masses of young people took to the streets in major cities to show solidarity with French student demonstrations, demanding that the government hire more teachers and improve school facilities.

In Turin, a city with a strong tradition of student activism, some protesters clashed with police by throwing glass bottles and rocks.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni urged restraint from violence, stating, "While we respect the right to protest, burning down cities is another matter."

The CGIL, Italy's largest trade union, has announced a general strike for the 20th of next month, ahead of which large-scale protests involving European students are anticipated, suggesting another massive wave of demonstrations could unfold in Italy on that day.

In Belgium, which is also forced to tighten its belt due to excessive public debt, protests by high school students over education budget cuts and poor educational environments have continued for days, centered around Liège, a major French-speaking city in the east.

On the 17th, students staged demonstrations against high living costs in downtown Brussels and Liège, and police deployed water cannons and tear gas to disperse some radical protesters who were burning trash cans and electric scooters.

In Portugal, rallies protesting the growing burden of living expenses caused by inflation and soaring housing prices were held in the capital of Lisbon, the second-largest city of Porto, and other locations.

According to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, housing prices in Portugal surged 16% in the second quarter of this year compared to the same period last year amid a sharp rise in demand from immigrants and a shortage of housing supply, recording the highest growth rate among EU member states.

In Spain, housing crisis protests—triggered last month by the forced eviction of an 87-year-old elderly person—have continued in major cities such as Madrid and Barcelona, pushing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez toward a snap general election.

Across the Adriatic Sea in the Balkans, anti-government protests demanding the resignation of the regime have continued for months.

In Albania, anti-regime protests that began in June against a resort development project by the son-in-law of former U.S. President Donald Trump have shown no signs of subsiding for four months.

As the protests recently intensified, spreading to university students' demands for improved educational environments, demonstrators demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama clashed fiercely with police on the 17th. AFP reported that riot control rubber bullets, water cannons, and tear gas filled the capital city of Tirana.

In Serbia, anti-government protests have persisted for nearly two years following an accident in November 2024 where the roof of a railway station in the northern city of Novi Sad collapsed, killing 16 people.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News) (Photo: AP, Yonhap News)