France Senate backs bill to make protesters pay for damage during demonstrations

The French Senate has passed a bill that would make protesters financially liable for damage caused during demonstrations.

The bill, drafted in May, has drawn criticism from those who warn it could infringe on the right to protest. It has now been sent to the National Assembly for debate and a vote.

The legislative move comes as French protest groups and trade unions call for further demonstrations to pressure the government to address concerns over wages, the rising cost of living and deteriorating public services.

France has seen a wave of protests in recent weeks, with demonstrations marred by vandalism and looting. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said on 22 October that more than 2000 people had been detained following the unrest, with 217 jailed after fast-track proceedings.

Under the proposed legislation, protesters could face fines of up to 10,000 euros. It would also introduce joint liability for people found to have knowingly participated in a group in which damage was caused.

Far-right leader, Marine Le Pen, who will be crossing swords with incumbent President Emmanuel Macron in next year’s presidential elections, has backed the bill.

Meanwhile, foreign policy analyst, Nile Gardiner warned that the protests could spread to other European countries, identifying Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK as potential flashpoints.

“I think what we are seeing really in Europe today is nothing less than an uprising that’s orchestrated by far-left communist and socialist organisations in conjunction with their Islamist allies. And a lot of this as well is being fueled by mass migration over the course of the last couple of decades in Europe.”

“The vast majority of the rioters and looters on the streets of Paris,  Barcelona, Milan, and other European cities that have been hit by violence are second- and third-generation migrants.”

In Serbia, meanwhile, a student-backed movement has secured a historic victory in a parliamentary election, forcing President Aleksandar Vučić to concede defeat after nearly two years of protests.

The demonstrations followed the 2024 collapse of a canopy at Novi Sad railway station, which killed 16 people and sparked widespread anger over alleged corruption.

With almost 99% of votes counted, the student-backed candidates secured 52.7% of the vote, compared with 39.2% for the alliance led by Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party, according to Reuters.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Belgrade and other Serbian cities to celebrate the result, which marks a major political shift after more than a decade of dominance by Vučić and his party.

The movement has campaigned on tackling corruption and improving education, although questions remain over who will lead the incoming government.

Similar discontent has also spilled onto the streets of Albania, where student-led demonstrations against Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government have engulfed the capital, Tirana, and spread to other cities.

The protests have been fuelled by anger over perceived corruption, a lack of job opportunities and poor education standards.

The developments come amid a rise in youth-led protest movements across parts of Europe, with demands for greater political accountability, anti-corruption measures, institutional reform and improvements to public services.

For more than a week, we have seen increasingly disturbing images from France and elsewhere in Europe: burning town halls, looted shops and brutal violence.

What has been portrayed as “student protests” increasingly resembles scenes from a civil war.

Behind the mob, there is an uncanny alliance: well-organised left-wing extremists and political Islam. Two movements that could hardly be more different – but united in their rejection of our free and open society.

Both are enemies of the Enlightenment. The far left likes to present itself as its guardian. Yet it marches side by side with those who reject freedom of speech and everything a liberal society stands for.

Beyond the violence itself, what is most shocking is the unwillingness to acknowledge what is happening, or even the apparent attempt to conceal the truth by many.

The violence we are witnessing has nothing to do with legitimate student protest. To me, these scenes reflect the consequences of nearly two decades of failed migration policy.

Unless we change course immediately, we risk seeing the same scenes soon in Berlin, Vienna and Munich.
For years, Hungary and other Central European countries have faced harsh criticism from their Western European neighbours over their approach to migration. Today, Budapest, Warsaw and Prague stand out as islands of calm.

— Sebastian Kurz (@sebastiankurz) October 19, 2026

🚨BREAKING NEWS

Unrest and mass protests are sweeping across Europe, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets in 12 countries.🏴‍☠️🔥

▪️ The primary causes include rising prices, the increasing cost of housing and fuel, low wages, and dissatisfaction with government policies.
▪️ In France, according to trade unions, nearly 800,000 people took to the streets, while police estimates are roughly half that figure. Authorities deployed 70,000 security personnel.
▪️ Italy: Protests in Milan, Rome, and Turin involved clashes with the police.
▪️ Albania: In Tirana, protesters set fire to the entrance of the Ministry of Agriculture and pelted the parliament building—as well as security forces—with fireworks and stones. Police responded with tear gas and water cannons.
▪️ Spain: Approximately 25,000 people protested in Madrid, calling for improvements to pensions and social protection.
▪️ Belgium and Portugal: Demonstrators spoke out against cuts to social spending and the housing crisis; clashes with the police were reported.
▪️ Serbia: Student-led protests continued, with demands for anti-corruption measures and political change.
▪️ Demonstrations also took place in Germany, Austria, Greece, Ireland, and the Netherlands.

— Aleksey The Great 🇷🇺🎖 (@aleksthgrt) October 26, 2026