Saturday 31 October marked the third weekend in a row of riots in European cities. This time, many were wearing Halloween masks. In several countries, the police deployed large numbers of officers to prevent a repeat of the violence seen in previous weeks.
The BBC will report this as “mostly peaceful”, won’t they? pic.twitter.com/mUEEyg20sZ
— Kosher (@koshercockney) 31 October 2026
Official figures from the French Ministry of the Interior put the number of demonstrators at around 320,000 nationwide, of whom approximately 70,000 were in Paris. This is a clear decline from last Saturday’s figure of 410,000 and more than 550,000 on 17 October. The demonstrators themselves claim there were around half a million participants.
70,000 police officers and gendarmes were mobilised, and the protests were largely kept in check during the day. But as the evening wore on, the situation escalated:
In the Porte de Charenton area of Paris, masked groups threw paving stones, fireworks and Molotov cocktails at the police, who responded with tear gas, stun grenades and batons. A police officer was struck by a Molotov cocktail, an incident described as an attempted murder.
Paris has gone to another level. Throwing Molotov cocktails at police is attempted murder. This is no longer a protest; they just want to kill and cause a major incident. Did you see the police officer on fire? pic.twitter.com/V6c1G9hLtA
— RadioGenoa (@RadioGenoa) 31 October 2026
Police are reported to have been deployed to protect churches across large parts of the country, including the Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Montmartre.
🇫🇷👮 𝗙𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗛 — Law enforcement officers have been deployed to PROTECT the Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Montmartre, in Paris, during the demonstrations on 31 October, in the face of several hundred protesters who had gathered. pic.twitter.com/KyNxJjKXuJ
— L’Écho Chrétien (@lechochretien) 31 October 2026
The clashes are mainly attributed to left-wing groups acting in concert with Islamist groups, opportunistic insurgents and local unrest.
In Paris right now, the army is deployed, weapons in hand, to defend churches. And we all know why. No Christian would ever attack a church. pic.twitter.com/YAJa3nOM8t
— RadioGenoa (@RadioGenoa) 31 October 2026
When clashes broke out in Lyon, Toulouse, Bordeaux and other cities, the police deployed tear gas and water cannons to prevent ‘radical elements’ from causing damage in the city centres.
BREAKING:
Far-left rioters are setting fires and building barricades in Marseille
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) 31 October 2026
In Marseille, the rioters are also reported to have broken into private homes. There have been no reports of attacks on Muslim property.
Rioters in Marseille, France have now entered a residential building
This will not end well. Imagine being at home, thinking you’re safe, and suddenly a mob of rioters is forcing its way in pic.twitter.com/7LPJmMexVW
— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) 31 October 2026
Various figures indicate that between 290 and 511 people were arrested nationwide. The situation has been described as more under control than on previous Saturdays, but as before, the figures will be adjusted as new reports come in throughout the night and tomorrow.
Holy fucking shit. Take a look at this.
The Islamist / Far Left mob are firing projectiles and fireworks at people again in France using makeshift weapons.
Take a look at it this time though.
Watch all the way through. pic.twitter.com/wZzJpXUEN0
— Kosher (@koshercockney) 31 October 2026
Germany
New this Saturday are demonstrations in dozens of German cities, including Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne, Munich and Hamburg, organised by ‘Gen Z regelt!’.
🇩🇪 It has spread to Germany!
Islamist and far-left riots in Cologne are terrorising the locals pic.twitter.com/Io3CAP6ril
— Kosher (@koshercockney) 31 October 2026
In Germany, too, the demands being made cover issues such as education, health, the climate, lower living costs, etc. Added to this is opposition to compulsory military service. Turnout was lower than Gen Z regelt! had expected.
This is Berlin right now.
I’m exhausted of repeating the same news over and over again.
But we can never accept this as our new reality. We can’t normalise it. pic.twitter.com/h5txTPzK9I
— Ada Lluch (@AdaLluch) 31 October 2026
Reports from Berlin indicate strong expressions of support for a ‘globalised intifada’.
The term ‘student protests’ stands for the globalised intifada. pic.twitter.com/5dAdqahZMm
— Emrah Erken 🔥🎺 (@AtticusJazz) 31 October 2026
The fascist Antifa, together with Palestinian Islamism, is present in large parts of the anti-establishment movement.
Antifa rioters in Berlin pic.twitter.com/vYsh3OhFyr
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) 31 October 2026
Most of the events passed off peacefully, but there were reports of water cannons being used in Cologne following the ‘unauthorised’ use of fireworks, barricades and fires in Hamburg, and the throwing of bottles and eggs, which in some cities was met with the use of pepper spray.
𝗛𝗮𝗺𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗴 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗺 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀:💥 𝗕𝗼̈𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿, 𝗥𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻, 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗶
Whilst looting is being reported in Frankfurt, chaos continues to reign in Hamburg too. Firecrackers and rockets are flying in… pic.twitter.com/AFrXfNSI6r
— AUF1 (@AUF1TV) 31 October 2026
Shops are also reported to have been looted in Frankfurt.
BREAKING:
The looting of shops has begun in Frankfurt, Germany.
Young first- and second-generation migrants are attacking shops in the city. pic.twitter.com/4ufyip4Ndn
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) 31 October 2026
German authorities had warned in advance that extremist groups would attempt to exploit the situation.
Stuttgart Live…
Left-wingers, radical left-wingers and far-left extremists pic.twitter.com/uXQ9DWJlXU— Sandro Scheer MdL (@sandro_scheer) 31 October, 2026
Switzerland, Belgium
In Zurich, Switzerland, police were attacked with glass bottles, rubbish bins were set alight, and emergency vehicles were targeted.
🇨🇭🔥 JUST IN: Unrest in Switzerland on Halloween night.
In the city of Zurich, police were attacked with glass bottles, rubbish bins were set alight, and emergency vehicles were attacked.
Follow: @RMXnews pic.twitter.com/MXP5fcOsGJ
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) 31 October 2026
It is claimed that there have been major riots in Belgium, but so far no large-scale riots have been confirmed.
🚨#BREAKING: Thousands of Islamists are now rioting in Belgium.
Attacking Belgians, destroying buildings, and accosting police. pic.twitter.com/x8zHf3t1Xp
— Deep Storm (@DeepStormHQ) 31 October 2026
Italy, Spain, Portugal, Albania and the Netherlands
Demonstrations and a certain degree of unrest were reported in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Albania and the Netherlands, but the scale and level of violence in these countries are said to have been significantly lower than in France.
In Albania, protests continue against the country’s highly unpopular Prime Minister, Edi Rama.
🚨 Tensions flare again at protests in Albania, where citizens’ primary demand is the removal of both Prime Minister Rama and opposition leader Berisha. https://t.co/3NrF3qNYGO pic.twitter.com/zGg6ezczwF
— Tirana Report (@Tirana_Report) 31 October 2026
Some of the momentum seems to have gone out of the protesters since Saturday 17 October, when France experienced some of the worst riots in decades. These resulted in widespread looting, fires, extensive property damage and hundreds of people injured. This does not necessarily mean that the willingness to engage in violence, vandalism and looting has diminished; it may also be that the police are better prepared or have been given the authority to protect society.
In October, Spanish security authorities uncovered IS-linked/jihadist online messages calling for attacks on police and demonstrators during the European protests. The messages explicitly mentioned Spain, France, Italy and Portugal and suggested methods such as explosives, knives, vehicle-ramming attacks and ‘martyrdom’. They described the mass demonstrations as a “rare opportunity”.
Spanish authorities warn of calls for jihad during protests in Europe
This week, Document also takes into account that some social media posts may be exaggerated, sensationalist and/or a rehash of previous events. Figures and details change overnight and, based on experience, will differ from new and updated reports.
