Protesters in France reject government measures as 'crumbs'; Portugal records EU's steepest rise in housing costs relative to income

Protesters hold a sign reading "The more violent you become, the more of us there will be." [AP]
Protesters hold a sign reading "The more violent you become, the more of us there will be." [AP]

Students and workers took to the streets across France for the fifth consecutive week Saturday (local time), protesting soaring prices and deteriorating conditions in education. Tens of thousands also marched in Portugal against a deepening housing crisis.

According to AFP and the Associated Press, demonstrations were held in cities across France — including Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Nantes, Toulouse and Strasbourg — led by student groups, labor unions and civic organizations. The Interior Ministry estimated nationwide participation at 106,000, down about 40,000 from the 146,000 counted the previous week and the smallest turnout of any weekend protest so far. Student groups put the figure at 200,000.

Demonstrators carried French flags and signs reading "No justice, no peace" and "SOS cost of living." A large caricature of President Emmanuel Macron also appeared. Benjamin Val, a member of the Yellow Vests movement, said the government had given protesters "bread crumbs" and declared, "We want the whole bakery." Unions and student groups have argued that the government's proposed measures — including improvements to educational conditions and a minimum wage increase — amount to nothing more than crumbs.

Protesters also voiced opposition to a policing bill under review in parliament that would presume officers' use of weapons to be self-defense. The bill became a flashpoint after a wave of seriously injured teenagers at high school protests fueled accusations of excessive force by police, helping drive the broader movement.

Supporters of the bill, including Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Rally — one of the leading contenders in the presidential election — argued that officers should not automatically face suspicion for using disproportionate force. Activists, however, condemned it as a "license to kill." The government is also pushing a vandalism liability bill that would hold individuals financially responsible for property damage even if they did not directly participate in looting or destruction. The measure passed the Senate late last month and now awaits a vote in the lower house.

The protests were largely peaceful. Toward the end of the day, some demonstrators in Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux and Nantes set fire to trash cans, and police dispersed crowds with tear gas. Authorities said 121 people had been arrested nationwide by 5 p.m.

In Portugal, tens of thousands marched in more than 30 cities, including Lisbon and Porto, in the largest demonstrations since tent and street protests began last month. Participants ranging from teenagers to the elderly carried signs reading "We will not let our right to housing be stolen."

Data released last week by Eurostat, the EU's statistical agency, showed that Portugal recorded the steepest rise in housing prices relative to income in the EU between 2015 and 2025, at 61 percent. The Netherlands came second at 34 percent, followed by Hungary at 27 percent, the Czech Republic at 26 percent and Spain at 25 percent. According to the Portuguese government, residential rents have also surged 68 percent since 2020.


andy@heraldcorp.com