Youth protest over housing and education in France, Italy and Spain — Dawn

In France, Italy, Spain and other European countries, hundreds of thousands of school and university students have joined protests over high housing costs, problems in education and a lack of employment opportunities for young people. Participants say that politicians are not listening to their demands, Dawn reports.

In Rome, pupils occupied a number of high schools, including the Cavour school, which became the first in a wave of such protests in Italy’s capital. Its student Damiano Fusa criticised the far-right coalition of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and previous centre-left governments, citing cuts to education spending and the neglect of young people’s needs.

Protesters’ demands

Protesters demand action against the rapid rise in rent, increased funding for education instead of defence spending, and the creation of more jobs for young people. In Madrid, hundreds of people have been living in tents in the central Puerta del Sol square since September, protesting housing costs and evictions.

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Experts cited by AFP link the discontent to young people’s sense of political isolation. Jeffrey Pleyers, president of the International Sociological Association, noted that young people not only do not see a place for themselves in politics, but also believe that they are not heard at all. Rosario Forlenza, a professor at Rome’s LUISS University, called this a European generational uprising linked to the socioeconomic crisis.

Authorities’ response and violence

Some protests escalated into violence. French authorities introduced partial curfew restrictions, while Italy deployed military personnel to restore order. Protest participants believe that such actions push their demands into the background and could worsen the situation.

Protest movements in different countries exchange experience in organising rallies and inspire one another. The Jolly Roger pirate flag is mentioned among the common symbols of youth demonstrations. Protest participants also express concern over rising military spending in Europe after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, believing that these funds should be directed, among other things, towards repairing schools.