Hundreds arrested as protesters clash with police in France
News Source
Europe Watch
Video. Greece: Thousands flood Athens streets in education protest– www.euronews.com
News Source
EXCERPT:
Students, teachers and public-sector workers marched through central Athens on Wednesday, demanding more funding for education, smaller classes, better facilities and affordable student housing.
Aerial footage showed crowds filling major streets as protesters made their way from the University of Athens towards the Greek Parliament. Some banners written in French reflected the Greek protesters’ solidarity with, and inspiration from, recent student demonstrations in France. Organisers presented the march as part of a broader European movement calling for better-funded education, affordable housing and relief from rising living costs.
Police officers, including riot police carrying shields, accompanied the march and blocked nearby roads. Some shops and cafés closed their shutters as a precaution.
The demonstration was part of a nationwide protest movement, with rallies also held in Thessaloniki, Patras, Larissa and Crete. Police estimated that around 10,000 people took part in Athens and its suburbs, although organisers claimed a higher turnout.
Anarchy in France: Behind the riots and violent protests (Video)
News Source
Why Chinese pundits say France’s riots could reshape European politics – South China Morning Post
News Source
Riots Across France Scare Off American Media Covering Sunday’s NFL Game in Paris – PJ Media– pjmedia.com
News Source
EXCERPT:
Europe’s doormat, France, is still set to host a major American sporting event this Sunday amidst a wave of violence that has swept the country, while its inept government has done the best it could do to quell the riots, given that its mainstay law enforcement tools are Prius police cars and stand-down orders.
The country best known for its cuisine, its arrogance, and its readiness to surrender at the drop of a hat is scheduled to host a regular-season NFL game in Paris between the New Orleans Saints and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game is still on for Sunday, October 25, in spite of the fact that the U.S. Embassy in France is warning Americans to avoid areas of unrest in the country.
The million-dollar question is, how do you avoid “unrest” if it decides to come to you? No doubt the orchestrators of the violence will know that disrupting an NFL football game in Paris will get the attention of America. With that in mind, you almost have to assume that the game already has the attention of the “mostly peaceful” violence planners.
While this hasn’t deterred a large contingent of the Steeler faithful who are already boarding flights to Paris, it has scared off two hometown TV stations that were all set to send crews to France to cover the game. NBC affiliate WDSU-TV in New Orleans and ABC affiliate WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh both decided to cancel their travel plans. The two stations are owned by Hearst.
Live: Paris bans protests after violent unrest as Macron takes swipe at Trump– www.france24.com
News Source
EXCERPT:
French police banned protests in parts of Paris on Thursday as authorities braced for further demonstrations following some of the worst street unrest in years. The restrictions came after President Emmanuel Macron appeared to accuse US President Donald Trump of exploiting the violence for political gain ahead of US midterm elections. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.
Protests banned in parts of Paris as Macron swipes at Trump
Police banned protests in parts of Paris on Thursday, as France braced for more demonstrations just days after student and other rallies degenerated into some of the worst street unrest in years.
Wednesday’s announcement came after President Emmanuel Macron took an apparent swipe at his US counterpart Donald Trump for exploiting the riots for political advantage in the US midterm election battle.
The Paris ban will last from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm (0600 to 1800 GMT) and apply to key landmarks in the French capital, including the Elysee presidential palace, both houses of parliament, as well as tourist havens such as the Louvre museum and the Champs-Elysees.
Welcome to the France 24 liveblog covering protests in France. You can catch up on yesterday’s key developments here.
- France is bracing for yet another weekend of protests by high school students and the “Yellow Vest” movement.
- Paris police have banned a student protest scheduled for Thursday, citing the organiser’s “inability to prevent violence and vandalism”, a police source told AFP.
- French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will on Thursday meet with the mayors of some of the cities that were worst hit by the riots over the weekend, including Paris, Marseille and Lyon.
French police arrest more than 1,800 people after violent protests erupt across country– www.cbsnews.com
News Source
EXCERPT:
Police arrested at least 1,800 people across France after violent groups clashed with officers and looted shops during nationwide demonstrations that drew hundreds of thousands who denounced rising living costs and poor conditions in schools.
Authorities said masked groups on Saturday set fires and attacked public buildings, including city halls, in several cities.
In Limoges, a city in central France, flames engulfed the 19th-century City Hall, causing its roof to collapse. Haute-Vienne prefect Maurice Barate told LCI television that the fire was deliberately set and nearly destroyed the building. The fire was under control Sunday.
French President Emmanuel Macron will hold an emergency meeting with top government officials on Sunday afternoon, before addressing the nation at 8 p.m., according to his office.
France to deploy ‘massive’ force against riots — RT World News– rt-english.com
News Source
EXCERPT:
A security crackdown is being prepared after nationwide unrest resulted in hundreds of businesses being looted and buildings set on fire last weekend
France will deploy military personnel from its counterterrorism force to support police during a new wave of nationwide protests, as the government prepares a “massive” security operation following some of the worst riots in years.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced the move on Tuesday, confirming that soldiers from Operation Sentinelle, established to protect France against terrorist attacks, would be mobilized ahead of demonstrations scheduled for Saturday.
The troops will primarily take over guarding sensitive locations, freeing police and gendarmes to confront rioters and prevent a repeat of last weekend’s widespread violence and looting. According to French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche, 1,000 military personnel will be available in Paris on October 24, including 500 on patrol, compared with the usual 300.
Zelensky, US allies bet on strike concessions to placate Trump– thehill.com
News Source
EXCERPT:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his powerful allies in Congress are seeking to use President Trump’s desire for Kyiv to stop targeting Russian diesel facilities to boost his support for Ukraine in other ways. Sen. Roger Wicker (Miss.), the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, returned from a trip to Ukraine last week…
French Government Calls Emergency Meetings With Platforms Over Protests– www.wired.com
News Source
EXCERPT:
A separate meeting, confirmed by Serge Papin, minister for small and medium-size enterprises on X, was held on Monday with major online reselling platforms where “an agreement was signed” to crack down on the resale of looted goods. French newspaper Le Monde reported that Vinted, eBay, Amazon, LeBonCoin, Meta, and TikTok were at the meeting. Platforms agreed to forward reports to investigators, monitor ads for goods stolen specifically during the protests, and send the government reports of their actions, with the first one coming within 48 hours, according to Papin.
Peaceful demonstrations against high living costs and strained public services, including schools, erupted into rioting and the looting of more than 1,500 shops and businesses over the weekend. Police “lost control” in some cities, Interior minister Laurent Nuñez admitted, as they responded with tear gas, water cannon, and batons. They have since arrested more than 2,400 people, according to authorities.
French penal law can hand down a five-year sentence and a €375,000 fine to anyone who is concealing, possessing, or transferring an item that they know was obtained through a crime or offense. Police issued a warning in the Netherlands that online ecommerce sites could have a higher number of stolen goods online due to the riots.
The French Alliance of Marketplaces, a nonprofit representing French online retailers such as Back Market, eBay, Etsy, LeBonCoin, ManoMano, and Vinted, said in a press release that its members are relying on user reports, human oversight, and tech tools to monitor ads that resell stolen goods from the riots. When identified, a fake ad is removed and “measures are taken against the accounts involved,” which could include permanent suspension of the seller’s account, according to a statement from eBay. The time it takes for eBay to take action “depends on the nature of the report and the necessary verification process,” the company said. Vinted, Amazon, LeBonCoin, Meta, and TikTok did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment.
UK Re-Arrests RAF Fairford Suspects, Alleges They Are Foreign Intelligence Assets– dailycaller.com
News Source
EXCERPT:
Two men were re-arrested in an investigation into the Royal Air Force Fairford incident.
British Counterterrorism Policing re-arrested a 24-year-old and a 25-year-old man under suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service on Tuesday. Both men were from the London borough of Westminster — with the 24-year-old being a UK national and the 25-year-old being a dual British and Iranian national, according to Sky News.
Authorities accused them of providing intelligence to Iran. (RELATED: FBI Foils Alleged ISIS Plot To Massacre Mall Of America Shoppers)
“Since the events at RAF Fairford on Sunday 27 September, our specialist teams have been working tirelessly to interrogate the many lines of enquiry involved in this hugely complex investigation. So far seven men have been arrested in connection with our investigation,” The British Counterterrorism Policing Office of Media Inquiry told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement. “As a result of the ongoing efforts of our officers, earlier today two of those men were re-arrested for offences relating to Section 3 of the National Security Act — assisting a foreign intelligence service.”
Joint Statement on the United Kingdom’s Attribution of Iran’s Involvement in Attempted Terrorist Attack at RAF Fairford https://t.co/UVbKtv7ZmC
— U.S. State Dept – Near Eastern Affairs (@StateDept_NEA) October 12, 2026
Trump Successfully Requests American Prisoner Be Freed From Russia– townhall.com
News Source
EXCERPT:
American citizen Stephen Hubbard has been released from Russian prison after facing Ukranian mercenary charges, according to Fox News.
Steve Witkoff, United States Special Envoy for Peace Missions, told Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia on Wednesday that “our whole nation sends its thanks,” CBS News reported. The outlet noted that Hubbard is ill and will get medical help in the U.S.
Stephen Hubbard, a U.S. citizen who was jailed in Russia for more than four years after being accused of fighting for Ukraine, has been released from custody. During a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, Witkoff thanked him for freeing the American. “Our whole nation sends its thanks,” Witkoff said. “Because of you, he’s going home to his family.” Hubbard, who is in poor health, was expected to be flown to Texas for treatment at a military hospital.
— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 21, 2026
“Stephen Hubbard, taken four years ago by Russia during the Biden Administration, was just released from prison, at the request of President Donald J. Trump, made directly to President Vladimir Putin in a telephone conversation last week. Stephen is on his way back home and will soon be with his family,” President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social on Wednesday.
Trump noted that this was not a prisoner exchange, but just a release.
“The United States, out of respect for President Trump, was not required to give anything in return – an unprecedented situation for Russia. There was no ‘swap’ necessary for this release. This major return should have taken place long ago through the Biden Administration, which got nowhere in its negotiations with the Kremlin,” the president added.
Italy’s Meloni approves tougher measures to crack down on protests after Milan riots– abcnews.com
News Source
EXCERPT:
MILAN — Italy announced new security measures on Tuesday aimed at tackling the kind of violent protests that caused damage to Milan ‘s central shopping district when weekend rioters, many of them minors, looted stores and set fire to property.
A government decree calls for the deployment of an additional 500 soldiers to Milan through the end of the year, requiring parents to pay for damage caused by minors and making it easier to prosecute minors over 14.
In a video posted on social media, Premier Giorgia Meloni said the presence of so many young rioters was “painful and frightening.”
“Young people … came to the square to smash things, steal and film themselves doing it,” Meloni said. “This is a phenomenon that we must address seriously, also to prevent those images from becoming a model for others to imitate.”
The decree also creates a new criminal offense of violent participation in a demonstration, punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to 20,000 euros ($22,500). Penalties increase if offenders cover their faces or someone is injured.
Protesters will be responsible for paying for property damage, with parents liable for damage caused by minors, Meloni said.
The decree, which must be converted to law by parliament within 60 days, also automatically presumes that anyone over age 14 is capable of understanding their own actions, unless proven otherwise. That until now was up to a judge to determine.
Russia, sensing victory, cheers Trump’s latest shift against Ukraine – The Washington Post– www.washingtonpost.com
News Source
EXCERPT:
- Russia, sensing victory, cheers Trump’s latest shift against Ukraine The Washington Post
- I’ve seen Russian power up close – Trump’s surrender to Putin is abject humiliation The i Paper
- We have the fuel you need to beat back The News-Item
- Russian Diesel Deal and Energy Ceasefire Expose Moscow’s Limits The Jamestown Foundation
- The Kremlin considers Trump’s actions a step toward Russia’s victory over Ukraine – WP Українські Національні Новини (УНН)
EU not reconsidering Russian gas embargo due to risk of split — expert – Business & Economy– tass.com
News Source
EXCERPT:
MOSCOW, October 20. /TASS/. The European Union is not revising its decision on the Russian gas embargo, despite the unfavorable timing for its implementation, Alexey Belogoryev, Research Director at the Institute for Energy and Finance, told TASS. Reversing the restrictions could cause a split within the EU, as Poland, the Baltic states, and Finland would likely oppose such a move, he added.
The expert noted that most European countries have ruled out the return of Russian gas supplies. According to him, despite the current crisis in liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies, Europe has not abandoned its plan to introduce an embargo on Russian LNG on January 1, 2027, during the peak of the heating season.
“It is difficult to imagine a more unfavorable moment for introducing an embargo. Nevertheless, we see no changes to this decision, precisely because reversing it is extremely difficult. At the very least, a number of EU countries – Poland, the Baltic states, and Finland – would likely not allow this. This risks a split within the EU, which the European Commission is constantly trying to prevent and overcome,” Belogoryev said.
According to the expert, it is currently difficult to predict what fundamental changes in Europe’s political stance would be required to overturn, revise, or ease the decisions on the Russian gas embargo. “The European decision-making system and bureaucracy are structured such that canceling already adopted decisions, even if they are economically disadvantageous, is much more difficult than moving them forward,” he concluded.
France has a proud tradition of protesting, and sometimes people lose their heads– abcnews.com
News Source
EXCERPT:
PARIS — No nation does mass protests quite like France.
When the French fight high fuel taxes, they don yellow vests and march. When angry farmers want better pay, hundreds of them drive tractors down the Champs-Élysées. And when museum workers want better tourist management, they strike and shut down the Louvre.
Passionate public protest is as French as “La Marseillaise,” the 1792 anthem that enshrines the collective duty to fight tyranny in the country’s national identity. But this month, the most violent demonstrations in years — and tough policing — have raised concern about riots overshadowing hundreds of thousands of peaceful demonstrators marching against rising living costs and poor conditions in schools.
On Saturday alone, at least 2,400 people were arrested after rioters in cities across France clashed with police, set cars on fire, stormed public buildings, looted stores and engulfed a historic city hall in flames. More protests could be in store.
“How can French people do this to France?” outgoing President Emmanuel Macron asked on Sunday. Nothing justifies the destruction, he added. “We all feel anger and shame.”
But any student of French history would know that the nation’s proud, loud and colorful protest culture has sometimes turned violent — starting with the beheadings of King Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette during the revolution that overthrew the monarchy in 1789.
Historians say the revolution was where the modern-day French tradition of civic engagement as a duty was born. The idea is that voting is not the only way to drive change; demonstration is considered a bedrock value, a way to make elites hear the populace and to defend freedoms. The moment a child becomes an activist is seen as a generations-old rite of passage. The right to protest is even constitutionally protected.
“It’s a way to build collective identity and political community,” said Magali Della Sudda, research director in political science at the French National Center for Scientific Research in Bordeaux.
France’s post-revolution history is not a solid story of protests and reforms, but of cycles of popular uprisings, repression, mobilization and political concessions. The tradition has turned tragic; In 1871, government troops cracked down on the new “Paris Commune,” or municipal government, reportedly killing thousands.
Volodymyr Zelensky Holds “Productive” Talks With Trump Envoys, Steve Witkoff To Meet Putin Today– www.ndtv.com
News Source
EXCERPT:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held “very productive and constructive discussions” with US President Donald Trump’s envoys in Oslo on Tuesday, a US official told AFP.
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff will now meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday, with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner participating virtually, the official said.
Ukraine is working for peace. I thank our partners for their support! https://t.co/ocTVnk05wQ
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 20, 2026
The talks came as Washington and Kyiv sought to heal a rift following Trump’s announcement of a diesel deal with Russia and pressure on Zelensky to end the war.
“Ukraine brought forward new ideas and proposals, which were discussed in detail,” the official said on condition of anonymity after the Oslo talks.
“The parties made meaningful progress in aligning on a coordinated approach to engaging Russia and advancing the diplomatic process.”
Georgia shows what could follow Serbia’s election– www.washingtonexaminer.com
News Source
EXCERPT:
On Oct. 25, Aleksandar Vucic’s ruling coalition will face Serbia’s student protest movement and established opposition parties at the ballot box. Vucic, who resigned as president in September to seek the premiership, wants to extend his Serbian Progressive Party’s 14-year hold on power. The danger extends beyond whether his party manipulates the vote. His government could portray protests against the result as a Western plot, crack down on opponents, and accelerate state capture.
Georgia offers a preview of what could follow Serbia’s election. The ruling parties in both countries have spent years weakening institutions, intimidating critics, and tilting elections toward incumbents. The useful comparison is what happened after Georgia’s contested October 2024 vote. Georgian Dream turned an electoral dispute into an opportunity to narrow the space for opposition, watchdogs, and protest. Vucic has the tools to attempt something similar.
In Georgia, manipulation began well before Election Day. Georgian Dream passed a foreign-influence law targeting foreign-funded organizations and media. Election observers documented pressure on public employees, misuse of state resources, and compromised ballot secrecy in roughly a quarter of polling-station observations. More than 1,200 complaints followed the vote, but the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights found that many lacked effective remedies. Georgian Dream retained power, opposition parties rejected the results and boycotted parliament.
Georgian Dream intensified its crackdown after the election. Police violently dispersed protests and detained more than 500 demonstrators. Authorities also jailed opposition leaders and froze civil society groups’ bank accounts. Georgian Dream suspended its pursuit of EU accession talks until 2028, enacted tougher foreign-agent restrictions carrying prison sentences of up to five years, and required government approval for foreign grants. It also moved to ban five opposition parties through the Constitutional Court.
Les Republicans Pounce! Media Denounces ‘Far Right’ Candidate in France For Noticing Riots Are a Bad Thing– www.westernjournal.com
News Source
EXCERPT:
We’ve exported the “fiery but mostly peaceful protests” narrative to France. Now, the media is sending them the “Republicans pounce” storyline, as well.
As you’ve probably heard, France is burning thanks to “student” protests. I put that word in quotation marks because there’s every indication that these riots are being funded by the same network that boosts Marxist protests in the United States, as well. But that’s not being reported.
Instead, this is what happened in Limoges during unrest the BBC said was “mostly peaceful.”
The Limoges Town Hall survived two world wars and stood as a symbol of French history.
Now it will be remembered as a symbol of the country’s downfall.
This is so incredibly tragic. https://t.co/35t2HtvSP1
— Dr. Maalouf (@realMaalouf) October 18, 2026
A student protest movement has gripped Serbia for two years. This weekend it will try to take power | Serbia– www.theguardian.com
News Source
EXCERPT:
On a cool autumn evening, a team of Serbian student volunteers went canvassing in the housing estates of Krnjača, a Belgrade suburb. They were equipped with lanyards emblazoned with the word “victory”, a stock list of questions and a mobile app that mapped visited homes and the level of support in each.
The volunteers were part of a mass student movement, Student List, that has rocked Serbia with two years of constant protests. On Sunday, the group will represent the most serious challenge Aleksandar Vučić has faced in his 12 increasingly authoritarian years in power, by putting forward their own candidates in parliamentary elections.
They hope to emulate the defeat of Vučić’s ally, Viktor Orbán, in neighbouring Hungary six months ago, in a domino effect that could bring a democratic resurgence to central Europe.
Opinion polls have varied wildly, but many expert observers say a close race is quite possible, with neither side prepared to accept a loss as a legitimate result, raising the risk of post-election unrest and clashes.
Musk chose to restrict Ukraine’s access to SpaceX satellite network, sources say– www.cbsnews.com
News Source
EXCERPT:
A decision by Elon Musk led to restrictions on Ukraine’s use of SpaceX’s satellite communications network, people familiar with the matter told CBS News.
The satellite service, which is used for drone operations, hitting certain targets and protecting sites in Ukraine, was slowed significantly last week.
Musk held multiple conversations with administration officials leading up to the order, the sources said. He wanted clarity on the president’s thinking on the matter. Musk has expressed distaste with his company being seen as profiting from the continued war between Russia and Ukraine.
It’s not clear how Musk’s order to curtail service was executed.
Musk licenses SpaceX’s Starshield technology to the U.S. government. He said last week the U.S. controls who can access the technology and what level of service those users receive.
“Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” Musk, the world’s richest person, wrote on X.
Musk did not reply to a request for comment. CBS News has reached out to the White House and the Pentagon for comment.
The Wall Street Journal was first to report on Musk’s order.
Khanna: ‘Wrong’ to Make France Riots ‘About the Left Wing’– www.breitbart.com
News Source
EXCERPT:
On Tuesday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) stated that while condemning rioting and property destruction in France is the right thing to do, it’s “wrong to make it about the left wing.”
After reading from a statement from Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob S. Helberg, co-host Brian Kilmeade asked, “So, you’re saying he’s wrong to identify this as left-wing terrorism?”
Khanna answered, “He’s wrong to make it about the left wing. He’s right to identify rioting as totally wrong and to say that you should never be destroying property or national monuments. But I think that we have to look at what is the cause, initially, of the discontent in this country? Why are there so many protests of young people around the world? Because the price of oil has gone up, gas has gone up, diesel has gone up, they don’t think schools are being funded.”
WATCH: Footage of Muslim Rioters in France Brandishing Submachine Guns and AK47s– gellerreport.com
News Source
EXCERPT:
Yesterday I reported that Muslim rioters In France were armed with AK47s and submachine guns.
Here’s footage of those weapons.
Invaders show off their weapons cache in France.
Whilst natives are unarmed.
pic.twitter.com/iIFR3fARWG
— Tommy Robinson 🇬🇧 (@TRobinsonNewEra) October 20, 2026
🇪🇺 Immigrants armed to the teeth in broad daylight…
WTF IS HAPPENING TO EUROPE?!?!?! 😳
Writer: Samuel pic.twitter.com/7h0gfD5Wiw
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 20, 2026
Far-left activists, migrant youths involved in violent Milan riots– www.lifesitenews.com
News Source
EXCERPT:
Far-left activists and youths of migrant descent were among those involved in two days of violent unrest in central Milan, Italy, that injured 14 law enforcement officers, triggered mass looting, and caused more than €1 million in commercial damage.
On October 21, an Italian judge validated the arrest of five adults and 11 minors – including an 11-year-old child – finding that the young suspects had knowingly participated in violent destruction and looting following a weekend of brutal urban warfare that paralyzed central Milan.
“Despite being very young and understandably appearing confused and frightened during the validation hearing, when they found themselves at the center of an action whose profoundly violent, destructive, and looting nature they could not have failed to understand, they did not distance themselves from it. On the contrary, swept up by the excitement of being able to enter a store and take shoes and clothing without paying for them, they acted in full concert with the other demonstrators,” Investigating Judge Fabrizio Filice declared.
The violent demonstration “does not appear to revolve around any specific social grievance,” but rather seems aimed at “the deliberate objective of unleashing indiscriminate and uncontrolled violence,” Filice added. The Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office emphasized that the demonstrators showed “no hesitation in resorting to violence or taking part in the unrest in the streets,” thereby displaying a “significant criminal propensity” through “sudden acts of destruction and rare violence.”
France is divided over who to blame for weekend riots– www.bbc.co.uk
News Source
EXCERPT:
In Saint-Denis suburb on Monday, I met Lisa Cordat, of the FSE student union. She told me that students organised themselves for demos via social media messaging or through student-led organisations. She said it was “insulting” to suggest they were being manipulated or “told to do this, or do that” by politicians.
“Student anger comes from the ground up,” says Lisa.
But there is also a palpable frustration amongst many in France at what they see as the politicisation of Saturday’s violence. Lina, who is 25, told me: “Politicians are hunting for scapegoats but don’t ask why it all happened. The root causes of Saturday. We feel scared and abandoned.”
France’s leading politicians have indulged in a festival of finger-pointing since Saturday.
The presidential election here in six months’ time is hotly contested and the volatility on French streets funneled immediately into France’s already febrile politics.
Mélenchon, currently running in second place in most polls, ahead of centrist candidates, accused France’s centrist Prime Minister of being “responsible for the chaos” either due to “incompetence or a worst-case strategy.”
Mélonchon went on to apparently imply Mr Lecornu may have allowed the violence to unfold, so as to position itself as a “party of order”, after Saturday’s lawlessness, “that would make people forget his failure in public finances.”
France is struggling with spiralling public debt and government borrowing costs.
France: Rioters threatened woman with rape her while she was holding her infant, but feminist activist claims mere ‘collateral damage’ for the revolution– rmx.news
News Source
EXCERPT:
A feminist activist who also serves as a university instructor described a French woman’s account of being threatened with rape while holding her infant as “collateral damage” of a revolution she supports,. The video was filmed the day after widespread unrest in France.
The exchange, recorded by the online media outlet Brut on Oct. 18 at Place de la République in Paris, shows a young mother confronting adjunct professor Bettina Zourli. The mother said looters who had tried to pillage a nearby shop called her a “dirty bourgeois,” attempted to force their way into her apartment, and threatened to rape her while she was with her infant.
“With my infant in an apartment I was driven out of because I was told they were going to rape me,” said the woman.
A French woman was threatened with rape while holding her child in her arms.
She said the suspects were the same rioters the left claims are “student” protesters.
The debate took a truly heinous turn when feminist activist and adjunct instructor Bettina Zourli claimed this was simply “collateral damage.” She stated that the revolution will be violent and that she supports this revolution.
Bettina Zourli has a master’s degree in gender studies, performs research on reproductive rights and gender, and describes herself on her Instagram profile as “childfree and Antifa.”
Zourli has lectured at major universities, such as the University of Lille, and currently serves as an instructor at the University of Rennes.
The University of Rennes has now publicly distanced itself, saying the university refuses all forms of violence and that her remarks do not reflect its position.
Source: @ImtiazMadmood
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) October 20, 2026
How French police are harnessing social media to identify looters– www.france24.com
News Source
EXCERPT:
France‘s police striving to identify and arrest looters who shattered shops in last weekend’s unrest are relying on one tool to trigger their forensic follow-up: social media.
“We are working the social networks… then we go over all that with our own tools, to see if the crimes seen on social media correspond with the crimes we’re studying,” said an officer seated in a special operations room with 10 screens in front of him.
To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement.
Europe in chaos as another country declares two days of protests while France burns | World | News– www.express.co.uk
News Source
EXCERPT:
Earlier this month, falling roof plaster injured a 14-year-old schoolboy, while another school has been closed over a gas leak scare, affecting 4,000 pupils (Image: Getty)
Thousands of Greek students took to the streets on Wednesday (October 21) to protest the high cost of living, citing grievances similar to those fueling recent demonstrations in France and across Europe. Police estimated at least 5,000 people attended the Athens protest. Similar protests also occurred in other major Greek cities, including Thessaloniki. Wednesday marks the second of two days of demonstrations, as teachers strike, students organise marches and education groups demand better funding, safer buildings and improved school conditions.
The protests bring together groups with different demands, from better-resourced public schools to lower costs for university students. Secondary school pupils and teachers are protesting poor infrastructure, a shortage of staff and insufficient public spending on education.
Greek primary education teachers (DOE) are striking for 24 hours on Wednesday, while secondary school teachers (OLME) are staging a work stoppage from 11am to 2pm. The educators are protesting increased class sizes and heavy workload demands, while calling for permanent staff appointments, upgraded facilities and better school funding. OLME said there is a nationwide shortage of 15,000 secondary school teachers.
“In Greece, like in France, we are demanding public, free education,” said Katia Koubousidou, head of a student union at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. “This will not be a one-off protest. We have a plan to continue our demonstrations.”
French PM vows ‘massive’ police deployment for new demonstrations– www.channelnewsasia.com
News Source
EXCERPT:
PARIS: French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Tuesday (Oct 20) vowed a “massive” police presence at fresh protests called for the coming weekend, as he faced criticism over the handling of recent street violence.
The eurozone’s second-largest economy was rocked on Saturday by some of its worst rioting in recent years, just six months before voters head to the polls to elect a successor to President Emmanuel Macron.
Facing angry lawmakers in parliament, Lecornu acknowledged that the security response had fallen short and promised a stronger approach ahead of a new wave of protests.
“The deployment for next Saturday will be massive,” Lecornu said.
He accused ultra-left radical groups of forging an “insurrectionary plan” that led to the riots, which erupted on the sidelines of nationwide protests over the cost of living.
Images of clashes, mobs looting stores and public buildings set ablaze last weekend prompted several countries, including the United States, China and Germany, to issue travel advisories for their citizens in France.
French authorities on Monday announced partial curfews in Paris and some other cities, and Lecornu said new curfews would be imposed on Tuesday where needed.
Paris police ordered a temporary ban on people carrying cans or bottles of petrol or gas, after mobs set fire to government buildings and shops last weekend.
France Braces for More Violence as Another Weekend of Far-Left Rioting Planned– slaynews.com
News Source
EXCERPT:
France faces even more devastating violence this weekend as far-left activists, migrants, and criminal groups prepare for more rioting.
Antifa-linked groups are preparing further riots near a convention for France’s right-wing opposition party, National Rally.
It comes days after nationwide riots overwhelmed police and exposed major failures in President Emmanuel Macron’s security operation.
An internal State Department assessment warns that far-left riots near the October 24–25 gathering in Orléans could become “potentially more confrontational” and “expose further security shortcomings and deepen political tensions.”
The warning identifies far-left groups, migrants, and criminals as potential participants in renewed unrest as National Rally leader Marine Le Pen prepares to launch her presidential campaign at the convention.
National Rally President Jordan Bardella has ruled out canceling the congress.
Local authorities are preparing additional security restrictions around the venue.