IN BRIEF: What we know about protests in Europe

IN BRIEF: What we know about protests in Europe Large-scale demonstrations against rising fuel prices and the declining purchasing power of the population took place in Paris and across France on Saturday© Alexander Vasiliyev/TASSMOSCOW, October 19. /TASS/. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez submitted his resignation on Monday, but President Emmanuel Macron rejected it, the BFMTV channel reported. In Italy, almost 200 people have been detained during several days of unrest, Sky TG24 reported. TASS has compiled the main details about the situation in European countries. Protests in France - Large-scale demonstrations against rising fuel prices and the declining purchasing power of the population took place in Paris and across France on Saturday. - According to organizers, 800,000 people took to the streets, while the Interior Ministry put the number at 550,000, double the figure estimated by analysts at security agencies. - In a number of cities, the protests turned into riots and clashes with police. - French police have detained 2,397 people during the large-scale protests, AFP reported, citing data from the Interior Ministry. - As many as 997 police and gendarmerie officers were injured in clashes, including seven who sustained serious injuries, the Interior Ministry said. Response from French authorities - French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated that the clampdown on all participants in pogroms and looting would continue. - French President Emmanuel Macron described the situation amid the unrest that has swept across the country as extremely challenging. - He called the October 17 events "unbridled violence," blaming them on "factious groups from the ultra-left." - Macron demanded that the government draw lessons from the developments and do everything to prevent a repetition of what happened. - The French leader also demanded that all political parties and trade unions "unequivocally condemn any violence" and urged calm. - According to Macron, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu will convene a meeting with their representatives in the next few days to establish "a clear and publicly expressed position." - Ahead of the presidential election scheduled for next spring, Macron said, "debates should be held with political parties taking part but not through street violence." - On October 19, Nunez submitted his resignation amid protests in the republic, but Macron rejected it, BFMTV reported. - At the same time, the head of state highlighted "the failures in planning and intelligence that led to the violence," the TV channel said. - According to BFMTV, Macron asked Nunez to "put in place new operational methods for security forces" in their fight against hooligans. Statements from French opposition - Leader of the National Rally party Jordan Bardella described the unrest in the country as "a humiliation for France" and called on Macron to step down. - Presidential candidate for the 2027 election Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of La France Insoumise (LFI), blamed Macron for the violence. - The authorities had underestimated the scale of the protests and were unprepared for them, he argued. Situation in Italy - Demonstrations against the policies pursued by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni began on October 16, with student marches held in many cities across the country. - Protests continued on October 17, when members of the country’s largest trade union, the Italian General Confederation of Labor, joined the youth protests. - Around 5,000 people have taken to the streets in Milan, 3,000 others in Turin, another 2,000 in Bologna, 600 more in Brescia and 800 others in Bergamo, according to the latest information. - Meloni said taking part in demonstrations was the right of Italians but condemned the unrest. - Almost 200 people were detained during several days of unrest in Italy, Sky TG24 reported. - According to the television channel, 197 people were detained following clashes in Bergamo, Bologna, and Turin, including 12 minors and six foreigners. - As many as 141 police officers have been reported injured. Situation in Albania - The unrest in Tirana broke out on October 13, during a student protest outside the Ministry of Education building. - Protesters have been demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama. - Sali Berisha, chairman of Albania’s leading opposition Democratic Party, voiced his support for the protests. - Earlier, Rama said a drone carrying an explosive had been neutralized not far from his residence in Tirana, claiming that protests in the country were "inspired from abroad." - Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called on the Albanian head of government not to transfer responsibility for the unrest in the country to Russia or Iran. - Before clashes erupted in Tirana, anti-government rallies had been held for more than 130 days over a luxury tourism development the authorities are promoting in the nature preserve of Vjosa-Narta on the republic’s Adriatic coast. - Earlier, Albania’s Special Anti-Corruption Structure launched a probe into amendments to the status of this national park that Affinity Partners, the investment firm owned by US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, wants to turn into an eco-resort. - The project threatens the uninhabited island of Sazan in southern Albania and several hundred hectares of protected landscape there. Russia’s stance - Nobody takes seriously any longer absurd accusations of Russia’s involvement in unrest in Europe against Russia, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. - The EU’s accusations show how disrespectful the bloc is toward its own citizens, Zakharova noted. - She also posted a video of protests in a number of European countries on her Telegram channel commenting on Europe under attack. - The video begins with European politicians, including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, discussing the alleged threat from Russia. - Their remarks are followed by footage of riots and pogroms in France, Italy and Albania, with the caption "Are those Russians?" - The final shots of the video show the words "No, it is Europeans who are attacking Europe aka the ‘garden’" as a response to that question. 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