PARIS, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of people flooded streets across major European cities over the weekend, venting mounting anger over surging living costs, housing shortages, and strained public services.

From violent clashes in France and Italy to widespread rallies in Portugal, the simultaneous wave of social unrest underscores a deepening socio-economic divide and growing public frustration across the continent.

PROTESTS GO VIOLENT

In France, nationwide demonstrations on Saturday drew some 550,000 participants, uniting farmers, trade unions, climate activists and students demanding relief from high fuel prices, inflation and public service cuts.

The gatherings rapidly descended into violent clashes. According to the French Interior Ministry, 997 police officers and gendarmes were injured, seven of them seriously, while 2,397 people were arrested nationwide.

Protests against the rising cost of living also swept northern Italy. In Milan, hundreds of black-clad demonstrators besieged Piazza del Duomo, throwing firecrackers and bottles at police. At least four officers and 20 protesters were injured, while about 50 demonstrators were detained, according to the Italian news agency ANSA.

Clashes between police and protesters also broke out in Belgium's capital Brussels as students and their supporters took to the streets to protest education reforms and rising costs.

Also on Saturday, tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra and other Portuguese cities to demand affordable housing and action to curb the rising cost of living.

According to the police, protesters pitched dozens of tents in Lisbon's central square and carried banners calling for laws to "ban vulture real estate funds," which they accused of fueling property speculation, while chanting "Down with speculation" and "We want housing and jobs."

European leaders condemned the violence, vowing action against rioters.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday on the social platform X that there is no place for violence in France.

"Those who have engaged in destruction, attacked government offices and businesses, and even looted our town halls, will be prosecuted and punished," he said.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also strongly condemned the chaos on Saturday, writing on social media: "Demonstrating is a right. Setting our cities ablaze is not."

Calling the demonstrators thugs who exploited protests to sow chaos, attack those tasked with keeping people safe and hold entire cities hostage, she said: "Faced with scenes like these, the rejection must be unanimous. Any reticence amounts to justification. Silence is unacceptable."

SYSTEMIC CHALLENGES BEHIND PROTESTS

The unrest highlights systemic challenges that continue to pressure households across the continent.

Although tactics varied from peaceful occupations of public squares to violent street clashes, protesters shared common grievances: declining purchasing power, unaffordable housing, high energy prices and weakening social safety nets.

Eszter Sandor, a senior research manager at Eurofound, warned that the benefits of macroeconomic stability are failing to reach the bottom half of the income distribution.

This growing divide is also reflected in public trust, with unemployed people, low-paid workers and people with disabilities reporting the lowest levels of trust in national governments and the legal system, she said. "A gap is opening between the rhetoric of a resilient Europe and the reality of daily life."

Niek Pas, a scholar at the University of Amsterdam, told Dutch public broadcaster NOS on Saturday that in France, the protests came as the government faced severe fiscal and economic constraints, reflecting widespread public discontent and deeper structural problems in France's governance.

Analysts point out that as European governments struggle with fiscal deficits and economic uncertainty, balancing budget constraints with public welfare has become an increasingly delicate task.

The widespread protests signal that failure to address these economic hardships risks further eroding public trust, deepening social divisions and fueling continued unrest across Europe.