Protests over housing and living costs that have shaken France and Spain in recent weeks have spread to Italy and Portugal, The Guardian reports. A march in central Milan on Saturday began peacefully but ended in clashes, with masked people throwing stones and paving blocks at riot police and setting barricades alight. Police used water cannon and tear gas; at least two officers were hurt and around 50 people, many of them minors, were detained, according to the LaPresse agency. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said protest was a right but blamed "hooligans" for the violence.
In Lisbon, hundreds of demonstrators set up a tent camp in Rossio square after marches across Portugal, echoing a similar camp in Madrid. Official figures show Portuguese house prices rose by 124% between 2015 and 2024, about twice the EU average.
Source: The Guardian
Photo: View west along Duomo roof, Milan by Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Illustrative image of Milan.
