Student protests mushroom across Europe, exposing bleak views of the future
A demonstrator kicks back a tear gas canister during clashes with police at an anti-government protest organized by the Italia in Piazza movement, at Piazza Duomo in Milan, on Oct. 17. | AFP-JIJI
Oct 23, 2026
MADRID – Young Spaniards and Portuguese have pitched tents in their countries’ capitals to protest high rents. French and Italian students have marched en masse for better school conditions in demonstrations marred by looters.
Greeks protested for more university funding, and young Albanians clashed with the police after joining broad anti-corruption demonstrations against a government they accused of impeding their prospects.
These are among the young Europeans who have taken to the streets in recent days in at least eight countries across the Continent. Their demands vary according to the context and the government, but a common thread unites them all: They fear for their future.
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