Demonstrators waving Palestinian flags force their way into Rome’s Colosseum – as protests spread across Europe

Demonstrators waving Palestinian flags entered Rome’s Colosseum on Saturday and chanted for an end to the war in Gaza before police and security guards escorted them out. The incident came amid protests across Europe over varied issues, including living costs, education, housing and political accountability, with clashes, arrests and damage reported in several countries.

In France, 400,000 people marched, while authorities reported 1,314 arrests, 53 officers injured, 75 fires and 24 shops looted over the weekend. Barcelona saw overnight arrests, fires and looting; in Portugal, police removed 171 protest structures and reported 11 people injured. In Serbia, a student-led movement challenging Aleksandar Vučić’s party is contesting a snap election, following protests sparked by a 2024 railway-station canopy collapse that killed 16 people.