Across France, Italy, Belgium, Portugal and other European countries, protests that began over education shortfalls, rising living costs and declining public services have escalated into widespread violence, looting and arson in recent weeks.
Journalist, writer, and political analyst Monjurul Haque, speaking on the Bangladeshi discussion platform BIPUL TALK on October 22, 2026, described the scenes in major cities as militant-style riots that have moved beyond original grievances.
Haque pointed to demands for better classrooms, furniture, teachers, and affordability amid incomes that no longer cover expenses. He argued these initially logical protests—linked to multi-year economic pressures, including lost revenues from African countries, high costs of supporting Ukraine, and energy disruptions—were co-opted by immigrant and extremist groups. In his analysis, left-leaning movements lost control to African-origin (especially Moroccan, Algerian, and Tunisian), Muslim, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and other migrant participants, as well as extremists, turning demonstrations into attacks on institutions, businesses, and police.
He cited the 2023 French riots following the police shooting of a Moroccan-Algerian teenager (Nahel Merzouk) as a precedent: hundreds of buildings burned, thousands of vehicles destroyed, and tens of thousands of police deployed. Similar patterns, he said, are recurring, with foreigners amplifying violence that would otherwise remain more contained. Haque drew parallels to Bangladesh’s 2024 student-led movement, which he argued began with civil demands but was overtaken by mobs and Islamist elements, resulting in destruction of public infrastructure.
Contemporary reporting confirms the scale of the current unrest. On October 17 alone, French authorities reported around 550,000 participants nationwide (including 110,000 in Paris), followed by roughly 2,400 arrests and nearly 1,000 police or gendarmes injured. The historic Limoges town hall was largely destroyed by fire; shops were looted in multiple cities; and curfews have been imposed in affected areas. In Italy, Milan saw clashes, looting, and fires around the Duomo, with hundreds detained—many minors—and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni deploying 500 troops while advancing emergency measures.
Haque highlighted the response from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (of the right-wing Brothers of Italy) and French President Emmanuel Macron: tougher rules holding parents financially liable for minors involved in rioting, AI-assisted cameras to identify masked participants for arrest, expanded police detention powers (including for minors, up to 12 hours in some accounts), and military support. He framed these as “medicine” aimed at militants, though he noted selective Western application of human-rights standards—vocal criticism of other countries contrasted with relative silence on Europe’s own disorders—and predicted right-wing parties would exploit the chaos ahead of elections to tighten migration policies.
Meloni has publicly condemned the violence as the work of hooligans exploiting protests, noted a significant share of those stopped or arrested in Milan had immigrant backgrounds (including second-generation), and pushed parental liability and other penalties. Other European leaders have also linked elements of the disorder to migration and integration failures, while mainstream accounts emphasize economic drivers, student and union participation, and opportunistic “casseurs” (rioters) on the fringes. France has considered further security steps, including potential military involvement.
Haque’s broader analysis situates the riots in geopolitical strains from the Russia-Ukraine war, NATO-related costs, and long-term migration patterns, warning of risks to social cohesion and political stability. He sees the hardline measures as efforts to restore order and limit further rightward shifts, with implications for diaspora communities, including Bangladeshis in Europe.
The situation remains fluid, with further protests planned and governments balancing crackdowns against underlying grievances over housing, education, and living costs. Haque’s commentary reflects a Bangladeshi analytical lens focused on patterns of protest hijacking and policy responses, amid ongoing European debates over causes and remedies.