What is going on in Europe right now? Youth-led protests that began at a school gate outside Paris in late September 2026 have spread to at least seven countries. I made a short video report to map it out.
The report covers France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Albania and Germany: where the protests are spreading, who is organizing them, what they want, how violent they have become, which flags are flying, and the key dates ahead.
Key figures
- France: 550,000 marchers on Oct 17 (Interior Ministry); organizers claimed 800,000
- About 1,800 arrests in France on Oct 17-18; 1,193 police officers injured as of Oct 29
- Germany: 120,000 marched in 30+ cities on Oct 31 (organizer claim); shops looted in Frankfurt
- Italy: 500 soldiers deployed to Milan
- Next dates: France nationwide strike Nov 5; Spain general election Nov 29
Report as of November 1, 2026. This is a fast-moving story, so figures will change. Sources include AFP, Reuters, AP, Al Jazeera, Euronews, NBC News, NPR, Anadolu Agency, ANSA, Connexion France, The Local Spain, Catalan News, Newsweek and The Media Line. Turnout figures are official counts unless marked as organizer claims. Made with help from some AI friends: the narration is an AI voice (ElevenLabs), and the scene images are AI-generated illustrations, not photographs of real events.