HighLights
  1. Europe witnesses Halloween protests against rising living costs.
  2. Germany's Gen Z regelt movement leads large demonstrations across the country.
  3. Clashes and looting reported in Frankfurt and other French cities.

Europe Protests: Halloween celebrations on Saturday took an unusual turn across parts of Europe as thousands of people dressed in costumes joined protests over rising living costs. Demonstrations that first started in France have now spread to Germany and other countries. Protesters are taking to the streets over issues such as education, housing, the environment and possible military service. While the protests remained largely peaceful, some cities witnessed clashes with police, vandalism and reports of looting.

Germany Sees Gen Z Protests

Germany witnessed large demonstrations on Saturday as a youth-led movement called "Gen Z regelt" organised protests across the country. Tens of thousands of people gathered in cities such as Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne and Munich to raise concerns over the rising cost of living, lack of funding for schools and universities and other issues.

Looting In Frankfurt

While the demonstration in Berlin remained largely peaceful, police deployed water cannons and riot officers in Cologne and Hamburg. Frankfurt also witnessed incidents of violence during the protests, with reports of damaged shopfronts, looted stores and clashes between protesters and police. The scenes were particularly striking as several protesters were seen wearing Halloween costumes. A person dressed as Batman was seen standing in front of a burning rubbish bin during a protest in Frankfurt.

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Protests Continue Across France

Meanwhile, in France, the Yellow Vests movement returned to the streets for its third consecutive weekend of protests. According to the French Interior Ministry, around 3,20,000 people joined the demonstrations nationwide, including 70,000 in Paris. However, the Ministry noted that the turnout was lower than the previous two protest days, when 5,50,000 people demonstrated on October 17 and another 4,10,000 joined on October 24. Most of the demonstrations remained peaceful, however, cities including Bordeaux, Toulouse, Rennes, Lille, Nantes, Marseille and Lyon saw incidents of looting and clashes.

Halloween Raises Security Concerns

Halloween celebrations also added to security concerns as French authorities warned about separate gatherings planned for Saturday evening. Interior Minister Nunez said there were calls for people to assemble across France. He said some online messages referred to Halloween while also calling for "revolution" and "insurrection". He warned that such gatherings would be banned.

The protests have also reached other parts of Europe, with people raising concerns over different issues. In Portugal, thousands of people, some dressed in Halloween costumes gathered in central Lisbon to protest against the housing crisis. Meanwhile, in Spain, an online network called "Blocus" reportedly called for looting on Halloween. However, the evening passed without any major incidents.

ALSO READ: Poland In Turmoil: Tusk Govt Faces 'Judicial Coup' Allegations, Prez Makes Mid-Flight U-Turn As Protests Erupt

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