«جيل زد» يوسع رقعة الاحتجاجات الأوروبية.. اضطرابات وحرائق في شوارع سويسرا

The disturbances linked to the wave of youth protests in Europe have extended to Switzerland, where Zurich and Basel witnessed clashes with the police, burning barricades, and acts of vandalism, coinciding with the celebrations of Halloween night.

In Zurich, riots erupted around Langstrasse and Helvetiaplatz after participants in an unauthorized gathering set up barricades made of garbage containers and electric bikes and set them on fire, while the police used water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.

The Zurich city police stated that groups of participants attacked security personnel using fireworks, stones, and bottles, and fires were set in containers, electric bikes, and a car, with storefronts and a public transport station suffering damage. Authorities indicated that the situation began to calm down after midnight, while an investigation was opened to identify those responsible for the vandalism.

In Basel, about 150 people took part in an unauthorized march in the city center, which included setting up barricades and igniting them, as well as causing material damage along the protest route. The disturbance led to a temporary halt in public transport and affected traffic flow.

These events came at a time when several European countries are witnessing a wave of protests led by youth groups, protesting against rising living costs, the housing crisis, and declining quality of public services, alongside demands for increased spending on education, mental health, and climate change, as well as rejecting plans to reinstate mandatory conscription.

In Germany, tens of thousands participated in demonstrations called by the initiative "Gen Z regelt," which means "Generation Z takes charge," in more than 30 cities, including Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne, and Munich. Participants raised demands for improving school conditions, increasing investment in public services, and alleviating the cost of living, alongside rejecting mandatory conscription.

Although most of the German marches began peacefully, clashes and acts of violence occurred in several cities as evening approached, with police using water cannons and pepper spray to disperse groups throwing fireworks, stones, and bottles at security personnel and emergency services. Vandalism and looting were reported in Frankfurt, and barricades were set on fire in Hamburg.

The movements in Germany coincided with ongoing protests in France for the third consecutive weekend, where the French Ministry of the Interior estimated the number of participants in Saturday's demonstrations at around 320,000 across the country, including about 70,000 in Paris, with approximately 70,000 police and gendarmerie personnel deployed to secure the gatherings.

The wave of protests in France began with student demands related to the deterioration of school conditions, teacher shortages, and difficulties in accessing universities, before expanding to include anger over rising living costs, the housing crisis, and declining public services.

These movements reflect a growing sense of discontent among segments of European youth regarding economic and social pressures; however, the motivations for the protests differ from country to country and do not necessarily constitute a unified movement with a single leadership or political agenda.