Mass protests against the socio-economic situation and government policies have been held in France and Germany. Approximately 320,000 people took to the streets in France, while protests in Germany covered more than 30 cities.
Modern.az reports, citing foreign media, that 296 people were arrested during protests against the decrease in purchasing power in France.
Clashes broke out between protesters and police in Paris. Security forces used tear gas and stun grenades. Clashes were also recorded in the city of Lyon.
Protesters demonstrated against rising prices and cuts in budget expenditures. Participants in the action beat a dummy head of French President Emmanuel Macron, staging a symbolic execution scene.
Approximately 70,000 police and gendarmes were involved in maintaining public order across the country.
The French Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that although the agreed marches ended without incident, radical groups in Bordeaux, Toulouse, Rennes, Lille, Nantes, Marseille, and Lyon attempted to enter city centers after the actions to commit vandalism and looting.
In Germany, young people organized by the “Gen Z regelt” movement protested against Chancellor Friedrich Merz's policies.
Demonstrators gathered in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin raised flags of the German Democratic Republic, communist symbols, and posters demanding the chancellor's resignation.
Protesters demanded increased funding for education, reduced living costs, and the non-implementation of compulsory military service. They also opposed increased military spending.
In some cities, shop owners preemptively boarded up their storefronts with wooden planks, fearing possible riots.
