Broadcast transcript

This is The Northern Current. I'm Marcus, with a Europe update for October twenty-fourth.

France is facing another day of major demonstrations over education, public services and the cost of living. The Associated Press reports that students and workers are demanding better school funding, higher wages and relief from rising household bills. A movement that began over school staffing has widened into a broader challenge for the government.

Reuters reports that France deployed seventy thousand police and gendarmes nationwide. Tens of thousands marched peacefully in Paris, while scattered clashes were reported elsewhere. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said one hundred and thirty-five people had been arrested by early afternoon. That is a preliminary figure, not a final total.

The government says it wants to prevent a repeat of last weekend's violence. Trade unions have criticised restrictions on demonstrations, raising questions about how authorities protect both public safety and the right to protest.

Elsewhere in Europe, housing is a major pressure point. In Portugal this week, protesters returned to squares in Lisbon and Porto after police cleared camps. Reuters reports that demonstrators are challenging high housing costs and proposed rental changes. Police described the clearances as proportionate; organisers disputed that account.

These movements have different demands, but affordability is a recurring concern. We'll continue following verified developments.

I'm Marcus. This is The Northern Current.

Accompanying image: editorial illustration.

Sources

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