Housing and cost-of-living protests spread to Italy and Portugal as European unrest grows

Clashes in Milan, a tent camp in Lisbon and escalating violence in Albania echo weeks of demonstrations in Spain and France

By LineZotpaper

Published18 October 2026

Read Time4 min

Housing and cost-of-living anger that has driven weeks of unrest in Spain and France crossed borders this weekend, with masked rioters clashing with police in Milan, a tent camp springing up in Lisbon and demonstrators in Albania facing rubber bullets for the first time.

Angry protests over housing and living costs that have convulsed Spain and France in recent weeks spilled into Italy and Portugal this weekend, with masked rioters clashing with police in Milan and a tent camp springing up in Lisbon.

In central Milan on Saturday, a march against rising living costs began peacefully but ended with masked demonstrators throwing stones and paving blocks at riot police and setting fire to barricades made from bar tables. Police used water cannon and teargas. At least two officers were injured and about 50 demonstrators, including many minors, were detained, according to the LaPresse news agency. Images showed a severely damaged carabinieri car.

Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, said that while demonstrating was a right, "setting our cities ablaze is not". In a social media post she said "hooligans" had exploited the protests "to sow chaos". Milan's centre-left mayor, Giuseppe Sala, said the "reasons for the protests were understandable, but the violence against law enforcement and serious damage to the city are not justifiable".

In Lisbon, hundreds of protesters rallied in Rossio Square after a march that drew thousands nationwide, and vowed to stay overnight. The tent camp echoed one established in Madrid three weeks ago. "The Portuguese social class that pays taxes, that which keeps this country going, is under attack and is losing its rights, notably its right to housing," said Elena Costa, a 46-year-old social assistant. "So we are all here together to try to explain that we are suffocating."

Antonio Margado, a 52-year-old engineer, criticised the centre-right government for "a total liberalisation of rents; owners are protected more and more, while tenants who need a house are those who are protected less and less". Portuguese housing prices rose by 124% between 2015 and 2024, roughly twice as fast as the EU average, according to official data. The camp amplified a housing protest begun in Porto, where dozens of tents had already been set up, after a union-organised demonstration called for better public services, pensions, wages and measures against soaring housing costs.

Portugal's prime minister, Luís Montenegro, said his government understood that people wanted to "express their outrage at what, in their view, may be omissions in public policies", but warned political rivals against "importing into Portugal climates of instability and protest that, in fact, have no support in Portuguese society".

The weekend also brought some of the most violent unrest yet in Albania, where protesters angry over university conditions and tuition fees have demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama. In Tirana on Saturday, demonstrators threw rocks, molotov cocktails and pyrotechnics at police and torched cars, using them as blazing barricades. Police fired rubber bullets for the first time since the protests began, and buildings including a court, banks and a post office were set on fire or severely damaged. The unrest follows months of anti-government protests initially sparked by a controversial resort development linked to the family of US President Donald Trump.

The wider European unrest has roots in Spain, where the eviction of an 87-year-old woman unable to pay a 230% rent increase sought by the investment firm that bought her flat helped galvanise protests. After rightwing and far-right parties voted down emergency housing measures proposed by the socialist-led government, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced a snap general election for the end of November. In France, fury over teacher absences and shabby school facilities has snowballed into a nationwide movement against inequality; more than 1,200 people were arrested on Saturday as some demonstrations spiralled, with buildings set ablaze and shops looted.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Housing costs and living standards have moved to the centre of European politics, forcing a snap election in Spain and testing governments in Italy, Portugal, France and Albania.
The protests connect different grievances: tenants' rights, public services, wages and education, giving the unrest a cross-border, generational dimension.
Governments are caught between responding to genuine hardship and avoiding being seen to surrender to street violence, with electoral consequences either way.

Background

Europe has experienced a long squeeze on housing affordability, with prices and rents rising much faster than incomes in many cities. In Portugal, official data shows housing prices rose 124% between 2015 and 2024, roughly double the EU average. In Spain, the eviction of an 87-year-old woman after a 230% rent increase became a symbol of the crisis and ignited a protest camp in Madrid. France's unrest grew from anger over teacher absences and poor school facilities into a wider movement against inequality and weak public spending. Those national grievances have now begun to feed off each other across borders.

Key Perspectives

Protesters and housing advocates: They describe a "suffocating" squeeze. In Lisbon, Elena Costa says the taxpaying class is "losing its rights, notably its right to housing", while Antonio Margado blames "a total liberalisation of rents" that protects owners more than tenants. Spanish activists have made the evicted woman a symbol of the housing emergency. Albanian students demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama over university conditions and fees.

Governments: Italy's Giorgia Meloni concedes the right to demonstrate but insists "setting our cities ablaze is not", blaming "hooligans" for the violence. Milan's mayor Giuseppe Sala calls the protesters' reasons "understandable" but says violence and damage are "not justifiable". Portugal's Luís Montenegro acknowledges people's "outrage at what, in their view, may be omissions in public policies" while warning against "importing" instability he says has "no support in Portuguese society".

Critics and sceptics: Rightwing and far-right parties in Spain voted down emergency housing measures, deepening the political crisis, and some officials frame the violent minority as criminals rather than activists. Sceptics warn that unchecked protest could destabilise governments, while others caution that focusing on the violence lets leaders ignore the underlying housing and cost-of-living failures that drew people onto the streets.

What to Watch

Spain's snap general election at the end of November, the direct political result of the housing crisis.
Whether the Lisbon tent camp grows and how Portugal's minority centre-right government responds with policy.
Police and protester tactics in Albania after rubber bullets were deployed for the first time.
Whether the French protests, which saw more than 1,200 arrests on Saturday, de-escalate or intensify.

Sources

‘We are suffocating’: protests spread to Lisbon and Milan as housing and living cost tensions intensify · World news | The Guardian

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.

Show each claim

Partly supportedHousing and cost-of-living anger drove weeks of unrest in Spain and France before spreading to Italy and Portugal.World news | The Guardian: “In France, fury over teacher absences and shabby facilities in schools in the poor northern suburbs of Paris has snowballed into a nationwide movement against inequality, weak public spending and falling standards.”
SupportedAt least two Milan police officers were injured and about 50 demonstrators, including many minors, were detained, according to LaPresse.World news | The Guardian: “At least two police officers were injured and about 50 demonstrators, including many minors, were detained, the LaPresse news agency reported.”
SupportedGiorgia Meloni said demonstrating was a right but “setting our cities ablaze is not”, and said “hooligans” exploited the protests “to sow chaos”.World news | The Guardian: “Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, said that while demonstrating was a right, “setting our cities ablaze is not”. In a social media post, she said “hooligans” had exploited the protests “to sow chaos, attack those responsible for ensuring security and to hold entire cities hostage”.”
SupportedGiuseppe Sala said the protesters’ reasons were understandable but violence and serious damage were unjustifiable.World news | The Guardian: “Milan’s centre-left mayor, Giuseppe Sala, said that while “the reasons for the protests were understandable, the violence against law enforcement and serious damage to the city are not justifiable”.”
SupportedA tent camp sprang up in Lisbon after a nationwide march that drew thousands.World news | The Guardian: “In Lisbon, a tent camp reminiscent of the one established in Madrid three weeks ago was set up by protesters demanding action to tackle the housing crisis and living costs. Hundreds of protesters rallied at night in Rossio Square ... after a march that had drawn thousands of people nationwide.”
SupportedElena Costa said taxpaying Portuguese people were losing rights, notably housing, and “we are suffocating”.World news | The Guardian: ““The Portuguese social class that pays taxes, that which keeps this country going, is under attack and is losing its rights, notably its right to housing,” said Elena Costa, a 46-year-old social assistant. “So we are all here together to try to explain that we are suffocating.””
SupportedPortuguese housing prices rose 124% between 2015 and 2024, roughly twice as fast as the EU average.World news | The Guardian: “Portuguese housing prices rose by 124% between 2015 and 2024, roughly twice as fast as the EU average, according to official data.”
SupportedLuís Montenegro warned rivals against “importing into Portugal climates of instability and protest that, in fact, have no support in Portuguese society”.World news | The Guardian: “But he has warned political rivals against “importing into Portugal climates of instability and protest that, in fact, have no support in Portuguese society””
SupportedAlbanian police fired rubber bullets for the first time since the protests began.World news | The Guardian: “In a sign of the escalating violence, police fired rubber bullets on the demonstrators for the first time since the protests began.”
Partly supportedThe weekend brought some of Albania’s most violent unrest yet.World news | The Guardian: “In a sign of the escalating violence, police fired rubber bullets on the demonstrators for the first time since the protests began.”
Not in the sourcesThe wider European unrest has roots in Spain.
SupportedMore than 1,200 people were arrested in France on Saturday as demonstrations spiralled and buildings and shops were attacked.World news | The Guardian: “More than 1,200 people were arrested in France on Saturday after protesters supporting high school students clashed with police, with some demonstrations later spiralling out of control as buildings were set ablaze and shops looted.”