Protests, sometimes evolving into riots, have swept Europe from the west to the east as ‘Gen-Z’, a term typically used to refer to those born between 1997 and 2012, have taken to the streets over varying demands that all address a common issue: an impending cost-of-living crisis.
Similar looting was observed in Italy’s major cities, while protestors in Albania burned down several government buildings in their demand for Prime Minister Edi Rama to step down on charges of alleged corruption. Italy too has faced a similar situation in recent weeks as riot police forces try to manage protests demanding better education, political accountability and opposition to government policies. Albania’s protests started months ago with a movement known as the ‘Flamingo Revolution’, which opposed the development of a luxury coastal resort associated with Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, on protected islands. The movement has since flared up into a larger threat against Prime Minister Rama’s government, calling for lower tuition fees, greater state investment in education and action against alleged corruption. Serbia is perhaps the most blatant example of a student movement being able to gain direct involvement in accessing power.
In certain instances, the protests have taken a violent turn, and hundreds of shops were looted across France in demonstrations held on October 17. Interior minister Laurent Nuñez said nearly 1,000 people had been arrested during the October 24 march in major cities such as Paris, Marseille, Lille, Nantes and Bordeaux, while authorities deployed 70,000 security personnel across the country, AFP reported. Last weekend, an additional 500 soldiers were deployed to Milan along with tougher penalties for violent acts involving minors.
The results of a snap parliamentary election held on Sunday gave a decisive victory to a students’ list of candidates, which replaced the country’s long-serving President Aleksandar Vucic on charges of alleged corruption.
