The riots in Europe on Saturday 17 October: a summary

Today, Saturday 17 October, there have been multicultural riots in a number of European countries. In several places, these have escalated into violent clashes between demonstrators and the police, resulting in fires, vandalism and break-ins.

France was the epicentre of Saturday’s riots. According to Reuters, 272 people had been arrested nationwide by late afternoon. Violent incidents were reported in Paris, Marseille, Toulouse, Angers and Lyon, amongst other places.

Shops are closing for fear of looting or because of looting

In Paris, the police used tear gas during clashes with masked demonstrators. Shop windows were smashed, cars and rubbish bins set alight, and a number of shops closed for fear of looting or because they had been looted. There were major clashes at the Place de la République. Masked far-left terrorists threw stones and fireworks and used pyrotechnics against the police. The police responded with tear gas and water cannons. Cars were set alight, and banks and sports shops were looted. Around 191 adults were arrested in the capital.

The situation at the Place de la République in Paris.

Thousands of projectiles were thrown at the police by Islamic rioters, and the ground is now completely covered in debris.

This is the sort of scene you’d only expect to see in a war zone. pic.twitter.com/KJiuW5uev1

— Dr Maalouf ‏ (@realMaalouf) 17 October 2026

NOW – Chaos at Place de la République in Paris, France.

pic.twitter.com/QE7Z7VmwFL

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) 17 October 2026

A restaurant is reported to have burnt down.

🚨🇫🇷 EMERGENCY ALERT | A RESTAURANT IS ON FIRE AT THE BASE OF A RESIDENTIAL BUILDING, near Place de la République, in Paris. (@LucAuffret) pic.twitter.com/IXS3vooIxV

— Impact (@ImpactMediaFR) 17 October 2026

In Lyon, the city’s tourist office on Place Bellecour was looted and set on fire. There were reports of vandalism against shops and violent clashes with the police, who responded with tear gas and water cannons.

Oh wow. This is very bad.

Migrants are burning the Tourist Office down in Lyon!

France is burning down and Macron is STILL silent!?

This will be his legacy. pic.twitter.com/zzsAN3tfVp

— Kosher (@koshercockney) 17 October 2026

The rioters also enriched themselves by looting a Hugo Boss shop.

🇫🇷 | URGENT: Looting of a Hugo Boss shop in the centre of Lyon. pic.twitter.com/mjWIx7BNC3

— Alerta News 24 (@AlertaNews24) 17 October 2026

In Marseille, demonstrators stormed the town hall and vandalised the furnishings, painted anarchistsymbols and toppled a bust of Marianne. A local police station was also attacked. The prefect described several thousand people looting.

⚠️🔴 WATCH UNTIL THE END

I CAN’T DESCRIBE WHAT I’VE JUST EXPERIENCED IN MARSEILLE.#17octobre pic.twitter.com/F8bLimtd7y

— confrontation française (@confrontfr) 17 October 2026

Migrants & Communists have started fires outside Marseille’s Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica, France 🇫🇷
pic.twitter.com/fUc2eeRlQu

— Lozzy B 🇦🇺𝕏 (@TruthFairy131) 17 October 2026

BREAKING:

The looters have managed to break into the Centre Bourse shopping centre in Marseille and are now stealing everything they can pic.twitter.com/OpQxn63nir

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) 17 October 2026

Reports from Lille indicate a break-in and vandalism at the mayor’s office. The high street is said to have been destroyed after rioters looted a number of shops and set fire to the town’s magnificent cinema.

🔴😳 In Lille, the high street has been completely RANSACKED.

The rioters have looted and destroyed numerous shops and have SET FIRE to the cinema, which the fire brigade is currently trying to savethe moment. #17Octobre pic.twitter.com/IHFjigXuHT

— Bleu Blanc Rouge! 🇫🇷 (@LBleuBlancRouge) 17 October 2026

In Limoges, the 143-year-old town hall was set alight.

🔴😳 The Limoges town hall is collapsing.

What infinite sadness.

I hope that this 17 October will mark a turning point and be the start of a revolt against the far-left scoundrels and criminals who are ransacking our country. #17 October pic.twitter.com/0iRxxA2aUn

— Bleu Blanc Rouge! 🇫🇷 (@LBleuBlancRouge) 17 October 2026

In Bordeaux, the Apple Store and the Louis Vuitton shop were looted. The prefect’s residence was attacked and the RAID special forces were deployed.

🚨🇫🇷 ALERT | The Apple Store and the Louis Vuitton boutique have been LOOTED in BORDEAUX. pic.twitter.com/uhTt7FBBSf

— Impact (@ImpactMediaFR) 17 October 2026

In Angers, French patriots are said to have stood up to Antifa terrorists who, for four nights in a row, have looted shops, set fire to buildings and attacked residents.

🇫🇷 | BREAKING NEWS: French patriots are fighting in the streets against Antifa terrorists who have spent four nights looting shops, setting fire to buildings and attacking citizens in Angers, France. DoDo you support these defensive actions against criminals? pic.twitter.com/rhEKD4BkCT

— Eduardo Menoni (@eduardomenoni) 30 June 2023

In Saint-Étienne, a protester lost a hand after a police grenade, which he was reportedly trying to pick up, exploded.

Another protester is reported to have had his hand blown off in France

There are reports of minor clashes and blockades in Rennes, Nantes, Toulouse, etc.

The French authorities have blamed the far-left for some of the violence. There are calls to deploy the army against the jihadist left.

The French army must be deployed immediately pic.twitter.com/0In8pkuE28

— Boolbi 🟦⬜️🟥 (Boulouloubi Boulouloubi) (@radiateur_2) 17 October 2026

Unrest across Europe

According to the Vlaams Belang party, the centre of Brussels was turned upside down by “masked far-left extremists and foreign thugs”. Vlaams Belang claims that “it is time to take off the kid gloves”. Antifa must be “placed on the terrorist list and criminals sent back to their home countries”.

New riots in #Brussels. The centre of the capital is once again being thrown into chaos by masked far-left extremists and immigrant thugs. It is time to take the gloves off. Our proposals are crystal clear. Antifa must be placed on the terrorist list. Any of the rioters… pic.twitter.com/FRwUyAELu8

— Vlaams Belang (@vlbelang) 17 October 2026

Over 5,000 demonstrators took to the streets in Milan, where the situation also escalated into violent clashes. Stones and fireworks were thrown at the police. Bus shelters and windows were smashed, and riot police were deployed.

Italy, like France. Outside Milan Cathedral. A symbol of Christianity under siege. Fires, clashes and devastation beneath its spires. This is no celebration — it is a collapse. They are burning the heart of Milan whilst everyone watches and records it. This is a war on our… pic.twitter.com/fcGWSDF8z0

— RadioGenoa (@RadioGenoa) 17 October 2026

🇮🇹 NOW MILAN IS ERUPTING TOO

The wave of unrest across Europe is spreading.

More than 5,000 protesters took to the streets of Milan over soaring fuel prices and low wages.

And things turned violent.

Rocks, firecrackers and fireworks were hurled at police. Bus shelters and…

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) 17 October 2026

There are reports of several hours of total chaos in Tirana, Albania. Reuters reported that the police are believed to have fired rubber bullets at the demonstrators.