Palestinian flag flies on Paris Republic statue as unrest hits France, Italy and Belgium: Could Spain be next?

Masked groups clashed with police across France on Saturday during nationwide protests over living costs and school conditions, with one striking scene at Place de la Republique in central Paris. Protesters climbed the Monument a la Republique, a statue representing freedom of all French people and deeply regarded by most in the republic, and were pictured ripping down its French flag and replacing it with a Palestinian flag, with images all over social media of rioters flying both Palestinian and Iranian flags.

“This is a deeply upsetting sight for Parisiens. The statue is a symbol of our identity and history. I would liken this to the burning of Notre Dame”, said Romy a local resident. Meanwhile, a car burned nearby as officers used tear gas and water cannons against people lobbing fireworks and paving stones.

🇫🇷 Protesters damaged the base of the monument at Place de la République in Paris. https://t.co/X1eTU5iTN1

— OSINTRadar (@osradar) October 17, 2026

Violence spreads from Paris to Marseille and Lyon

Authorities recorded around 140 actions outside the capital by midday, involving more than 32,000 people, while unions claimed higher national totals. In Marseille, demonstrators forced their way into the town hall, spray-painted an anarchist symbol and were later cleared. In Lyon the tourist office was set ablaze, forcing police to use water cannon to let firefighters through. Hundreds of arrests followed nationwide, with officials pointing to “ultra-left” elements and masked groups.

🔴🇨🇵‼️🦺 FLASH INFO – Des véhicules de police sont prises pour cible par la foule dans le secteur République à Paris.

#17octobre https://t.co/Gnaqm9xQZm

— ActuCenter (@ActuCenter) October 17, 2026

Students, Yellow Vests and unions took part after weeks of school blockades over teacher shortages and crumbling buildings. Earlier coverage of the student wave includes reports of schools closed and a teenager injured by a grenade.

Southern Italy sees empty shelves and dry pumps

Lorry drivers and farmers have blocked motorways and junctions in Puglia, Calabria and Sicily over diesel prices above €2.25 a litre. Steelworkers from the former Ilva plant in Taranto also blockaded the nearby Eni refinery for several days, cutting fuel deliveries across the south. Many stations ran dry and panic buying emptied supermarket shelves in Foggia province of meat, bread, flour, eggs and fresh produce. Deliveries stalled for days. Student marches in Turin and Milan produced further scuffles, with stones and bottles thrown at officers. Reuters has covered the fuel disruption.

Clashes in Milan right now. Europe in total chaos. https://t.co/z6ExwbY7Iu

— RadioGenoa (@RadioGenoa) October 17, 2026

Belgium records clashes in Brussels and Liege

Student groups protesting rising education costs and access, partly inspired by events in France, have faced off with police in Brussels and Liege this week. Officers deployed tear gas and water cannons after youths threw bottles and set bins alight. Earlier anti-austerity union marches in the capital also saw fringe violence on the sidelines, with fires and projectiles reported. Interior Minister Bernard Quintin described the scenes as organised violence rather than ordinary protest.

Could street riots spread to Spain?

Spain already faces large housing protests, including an encampment in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol that forced the Sol metro station to close over hygiene concerns from waste build-up. Teachers in the Madrid region are on indefinite strike, and unions have called a national general strike for November over wages, rents and prices, timed around the snap election on 29 November.

Housing marches have drawn tens of thousands in multiple cities. Shared pressures over costs of living, education and housing exist across the continent. Whether Spanish streets tip into the same level of disorder seen in France or the supply hits in Italy will depend on how authorities respond and whether groups push further.

However, the likelihood of full-scale riots taking over Spanish streets in the same way is very low. With a general election on the near horizon, and public opinion moving away from the chaos that followed the massive influx of migrants in Ceuta, the word on the street is that tolerance for such action among the population is currently exhausted.

In Paris right now? Here are the locations to avoid (using X posts). https://t.co/6Ph3Hbvj61

— Igor Carron (@IgorCarron) October 17, 2026