Nationwide demonstrations led by high school students concerning the education system in France have extended to various regions across Europe in recent weeks. In Albania, student organizers highlighted grievances related to university conditions, higher education expenses, financial aid, and post-graduation job opportunities during a protest held on Tuesday. The protest in Tirana turned violent as demonstrators threw bricks and concrete blocks at Albania’s Education Ministry, prompting the police to deploy tear gas and water cannons in response. Several protesters were apprehended by law enforcement officers.
Meanwhile, in France, high school students have been engaging in protests and school blockades for weeks, advocating for increased teaching staff and improved school facilities. The Interior Ministry reported that over 161,000 individuals participated in demonstrations in major French cities, a decrease from the 266,000 participants in a similar event a week earlier. While the majority of demonstrators marched peacefully, instances of riot police confronting protesters and deploying tear gas occurred in Paris, Lyon, Strasbourg, and Nantes. A small group of protesters resorted to setting fires, damaging property, and throwing objects at police officers.
In Greece, university students gathered outside the Finance Ministry in Athens to protest against escalating rent prices and the shortage of affordable student accommodation. The demonstration included tents set up at Syntagma Square near the parliament building.