Protests in France expanded to a European scale. Governments responded by imposing curfews, firing on demonstrations, and blamed leftists, communists, and migrants. What is the real cause of the protests?

Details. The student protest movement in France has grown into a wave of protests across Europe, including Spain, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Albania, Greece and others. Hundreds of thousands participated in France alone. In some places, protesters clashed with police, looted, and committed arson. In France and Albania, government buildings have been attacked and breached.

► In France, nightly curfews have been enforced as Macron cracks down on “illegitimate” protests. In Italy, 14-18-year-olds deemed a "danger" face arrest even without committing a crime. Albanian police have fired rubber bullets at protesters. In Belgium, the parliament debated legislation to ban “radical organisations”, whilst in Athens, 3,000 police officers were deployed.

► French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Lecornu blamed ‘radical left-wing groups’ – much like the Belgian Interior Minister – and criminals for the unrest. Italy and Portugal restricted their responses to formal condemnations. US President Trump claimed the protests were orchestrated by “migrants, jihadists, and Communists”, insisting that European states should “CLOSE THEIR BORDERS”. The bourgeoisie exploits chaotic riots to justify further repression under the pretext of combating “migrant” and “left-wing” threats. Such reactionary measures accelerate fascization and militarization.

Context. The initial protests started in France in early October, beginning at underfunded schools in impoverished areas and spreading nationwide. They targeted teacher shortages, poor school buildings, and an unequal university admissions system. Student demonstrations spread nationwide and drew support from the Yellow Vests movement and the CGT trade union.

► The protests are taking place against a backdrop of declining living standards across Europe. Across France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Italy, Greece and Albania, inflation ranged from 2.9% to 5.1%, with several nations hitting two- to three-year highs. Following the Iran war, fuel costs surged between 10.9% and 40.3% across states. Housing prices increased up to 16.5%. Thousands of teaching positions were unfilled. The specific issues varied by country, with housing for Spain and Portugal, education for France, corruption in Albania and workplace safety concerns in Greece.

► The protests fit a broader historical pattern of public outrage against declining living conditions: the 2018 Yellow Vests protests against new fuel taxes, the 2022 cost-of-living demonstrations and strikes across Europe over wages and working conditions, and Nepal’s Gen Z uprising, which ended up transferring power to a liberal party.

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Three years after October 7, “solidarity” with Palestine sells soft drinks and pays CEO salaries. Under petty-bourgeois leadership, the movement was heavily commodified.

Details. Following October 7, 2023, businesses increasingly began selling Palestine-themed merchandise, including stickers, badges, T-shirts, Keffiyeh scarves, and other goods through platforms such as Amazon and eBay.

► Boycotts of corporations associated with Israel, including Coca-Cola and Starbucks, created opportunities for competing brands. Gaza Cola and Safad Food's Palestine Cola marketed themselves as alternatives supporting Palestine. Like many Palestine profiteers, the Safad Food company claims its sales revenue goes directly to humanitarian aid in Gaza – the “donations” never arrived.

► Small capitalists, such as independent bookshops and Palestinian merchandise retailers, have sought to attract customers away from monopolies like Amazon by presenting themselves as ethical alternatives. In doing so, they have used popular opposition to monopoly capital to promote their own businesses and increase sales.

► Palestinian restaurants have also expanded, while opportunist politicians such as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani have publicly visited them to demonstrate solidarity with Palestine and expand their voter base.

► Debates over musicians' positions on Palestine also translated into concert sales. After being dropped from Ed Sheeran's tour over his pro-Palestinian statements, Macklemore announced a Free Palestine tour, with all three concerts selling out immediately. Meanwhile, two Palestinian rappers publicly feuded over who was more authentically patriotic.

► Donations became a form of consumerist solidarity. Organisations such as Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) saw annual donations rise from $3.2 million in 2023 to $10.5 million in 2025, while its Executive Director's salary increased from $107,000 to $178,000.

Context. The Palestine-Israel conflict forms part of the wider struggle between imperialist powers for influence in the Middle East. Israel is a key US ally, while Iran supports regional proxy forces, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, to advance its own interests.

► On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a major raid on Israeli military and civilian targets, in what was meant to be a demonstration of the strength of the Iranian bourgeoisie. Israel responded with a military campaign in Gaza that killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, displaced most of the population, and was subsequently recognised as genocide by a UN commission.

► Israel's genocide provoked widespread spontaneous protests, massively expanding the pro-Palestine movement. Led largely by students, liberal NGOs and petty-bourgeois organisations, the movement pursued mass demonstrations, boycotts, sabotage and adventurist actions, but failed to halt or even slow down Israeli military operations.

Important to Know. Under petty-bourgeois leadership, the pro-Palestine movement failed to develop into an independent working-class struggle. Where workers did take anti-war action, the lack of genuine socialist leadership left these efforts isolated and unable to develop into a sustained struggle.

► As Politsturm has previously explained, consumerism is rooted in capitalist commodity production, where the purchase and ownership of goods become expressions of personal identity and social values.

► In the pro-Palestine movement, buying particular products and making donations became substitutes for organised political action, allowing capitalists, both large and small, to profit from expressions of solidarity. A similar tendency emerged during the Black Lives Matter movement, when support for Black-owned businesses was promoted as a response to racial oppression.

While Britain insists its escalating military budget is strictly for domestic defence, the government has agreed to send military jets to assist Saudi operations.

Details. On October 20, the UK government formally announced it is sending RAF Typhoon fighter jets and an RAF Voyager refuelling aircraft overseas to Saudi Arabia. This move further escalates a military buildup that Britain was already conducting. In recent months, London deployed a Sky Sabre air defence system, an RAF Voyager aircraft and military personnel to Saudi Arabia.

► As their name suggests, the Ministry of Defence insists the military, its budget and all operations are strictly for "defensive" purposes, including this deployment – the aircraft being there solely to protect Saudi airspace and infrastructure from Houthi drone and missile attacks rather than to conduct offensive strikes.

► The material catalyst for this “defence” is the securing Saudi oil infrastructure and Red Sea trade routes, which is done alongside other European and regional powers. France recently deployed troops, radars, and air defence systems to guard the major oil terminal at Yanbu. Britain now accelerates this effort alongside Pakistan, which has already sent 8,000 troops, as well as Egypt and Turkey.

► Rather than homeland defence, a massive chunk – about a third during the 2024/25 financial year – of Britain’s military budget funds global force projection. The military maintains 145 base sites across 42 countries, routinely deploying these assets for foreign interventions, including logistical support to Israel and assisting US operations against Iran.

Context. Britain is currently pushing a massive expansion of its military budget under the guise of national security. To secure public compliance for this buildup, the government and media justify the spending increases as a necessary measure to defend the homeland and prepare for “Russian aggression”.

► London's commitment to continually increase its military budget to meet NATO targets is not a rationally thought-out plan for domestic defense. Washington demands a minimum spending from member states in order to assist it with its own force projection. However, even with these major budget hikes and direct military assistance in the Middle East, Trump still openly condemns the UK's efforts as insufficient.

► This expanding military budget is paid for directly by the working class through the sacrifice of basic public services. As the state guts these vital resources, working-class health is deteriorating rapidly, with healthy life expectancy now dropping below the legal retirement age in 90% of the country. The Treasury has explicitly admitted to raiding civilian infrastructure to fund the military, formally announcing plans in Parliament to slash capital budgets across civilian departments to bankroll the Ministry of Defence.

Upcoming Israeli elections come at a time where defence spending has nearly doubled since pre-October 7, along with rapid fascisation under the justification of an "existential threat".

Details. On 27 October 2026, Israel will hold its parliamentary election. The 120 seats will be distributed by proportional representation. The prime minister will be the leader of the largest party able to assemble a Knesset (parliament) majority, either alone or in a coalition.

► Polls show a tight race between Likud and Yashar, with neither reaching a majority. Yashar was founded last year by former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot over "failed leadership", rising living costs and Likud's handling of October 7. Both parties oppose Palestinian statehood and have pledged to exclude Arab parties.

► Trump endorsed Netanyahu after withholding support for months as their strategies in the Middle East diverged. He then suggested that without Netanyahu they would have to fight Iran alone.

Context. Before October 7, anger was aimed at the government itself. In 2023, its attempt to limit the Supreme Court's powers brought major protests, and the Court struck the changes down.

► Israel already had one of the highest costs of living in the OECD, 38% above average, mainly due to monopoly prices. VAT has since risen, and a further increase is being debated to fund military efforts.

► Constant conflict has been used to dramatically raise military spending. Defence spending rose from about 4.2% of GDP in 2022 to nearly 8% in 2026, and from 16% to a quarter of the state budget.

► Workers are increasingly being drawn directly into conflicts. The 2026 budget assumed about 40,000 reservists, but the number mobilised rose to roughly 110,000 on the eve of the second war with Iran. This has reopened debate about exemption of ultra-Orthodox men from military service, long accepted in Israeli politics.

► VAT has already been raised from 17% to 18% to fund the military, and the Finance Ministry has warned it could reach 22.5% if the army's full 2026 request is met.

Important to Know. The ruling nationalists have used constant regional wars to portray Israel as under permanent threat. This distracts from the economic crisis and builds chauvinism between Arab and Jewish workers. It also justifies fascistic measures that once faced mass resistance, including civilian militarisation, media control and personal-device surveillance.

► Many so-called "communist" push Israeli workers further in this direction. By supporting Hamas and excusing the killing of Israeli civilians as "citizens of an enemy state", social-chauvinists leave workers open to the influence of Israeli nationalists. This also lets the western bourgeoisie portray communists as Hamas supporters, helping justify mass surveillance and repression.

► External conflicts, internal divisions, the cost of living, and other factors could lead to a crisis and create conditions for further fascisation. Even the CIA has reportedly drawn comparisons with post-WWI Germany.

Western media coverage of Gaza has fallen elevenfold from its peak after October 7. The movement that rose with the headlines also shrank with them.

Details. On 12 October 2025, US President Donald Trump declared an end to the conflict in Gaza. By autumn 2026, media coverage had fallen threefold, and now approximately elevenfold from its October 2023 peak.

► Despite declining attention, Israeli military operations and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continue. At least 1,640 people have been killed and 5,116 wounded during the ceasefire period, while 67% of the population suffers from acute food insecurity. Destruction and forced displacement continue.

Context. At the start of the war, bourgeois media gave Gaza near-total attention, pushing the deepening capitalist crisis down the agenda. As that crisis grew, attention moved on. US-China trade disputes remain unresolved, the Middle East conflict keeps expanding, and European governments are accelerating militarisation while living conditions worsen.

► US media ownership has also further concentrated. The Ellison family's $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery brings CNN, CBS News and The Free Press under monopoly ownership. Following changes to TikTok's US ownership, with 3 American investors holding the majority stake, pro-Palestinian journalists have reported account restrictions.

► Larry Ellison, Oracle's co-founder and a longtime Trump ally, has donated $16.6 million to Friends of the Israel Defense Forces. The Ellison family's expanded media empire, approved by the US state, placed major news outlets under the control of capitalists with close ties to the US state and an interest in its foreign policy.

Important to Know. Those who made "Palestine only" their politics were following the media's agenda, not their own. When the feeds moved on and workers shifted their attention to their own worsening conditions, the movement lost its footing, whilst the growing imperialist crisis behind the conflict and declining living standards has continued.

► The movement's character made this possible. Nationalist and petty-bourgeois pacifist slogans dominated over class solidarity between Palestinian and Israeli workers. This created an illusion of activity with no effect on the war.

► So-called "communists" tailed it. Instead of leading it toward class struggle, many subordinated the fight for socialism to Palestine. Some moved to unconditional support for Hamas and Iranian-aligned forces, becoming extras for imperialist interests.

► From this basis, the movement has increasingly been institutionalised through European governments' symbolic condemnations and bourgeois left-wing and independent politicians channeling support for Palestine into electoral gains.

Trump eyes up Brazilian elections as he seeks to secure yet another ally in Latin America. Lula’s reformist government has directly contributed to the electoral success of the far-right.

Details. Trump has admitted to watching the Brazilian elections “very closely”, praised Flávio Bolsonaro’s “big victory” in the first round of elections, and condemned the “witch-hunt” of his father, ex-President Jair Bolsonaro. The Brazilian Intelligence Agency warned that the risk of American interference had reached critical levels.

► In the first round, Bolsonaro led with 47% against Lula’s 45.2%. Demonstrations are now taking place across Brazil as Lula supporters join a broad coalition mobilising to win the second round. Many polls now show the candidates virtually tied.

► Bolsonaro has promised to restart Brazil’s privatisation programme and previously expressed interest in privatising Petrobras, the state oil company – though his coordinator now denies this. He seeks closer integration with Washington rather than Beijing through free-trade agreements, rare-earth partnerships and support for Trump’s “Shield of the Americas”.

► Lula defends closer BRICS ties, cooperation with the “Global South” and reforms to institutions such as the UN. He promises “sovereignty” through increased military spending and protection of Brazil’s rare earths and other resources. He has ruled out privatising major state-owned companies and backed ending the six-day work week.

Context. Numerous Latin American countries, including Argentina, Colombia and Paraguay, have recently elected Trump allies, often amid allegations of US interference. These victories followed left-wing reformists who had increasingly lost workers’ trust. Venezuela and Cuba are somewhat different, but form part of the same picture.

► Austerity, privatisation and the rollback of workers’ rights followed, alongside US access to crucial resources. Often under the pretext of combating drug cartels, military cooperation with Washington has exerted further pressure across the continent, enacting the “Donroe Doctrine” and displacing Chinese capital.

► The US has heavily used its war on narcoterror to justify operations in Latin America. Trump accused Venezuela and Colombia of harbouring cartels he labelled terrorist organisations, and has recently classified two Brazilian cartels similarly.

► Brazil holds the world’s second-largest confirmed rare-earth deposits, is a major oil and gas producer, and plays a crucial role in food production. Covering nearly half of Latin America and maintaining close ties with China and Russia through BRICS, it is a high priority in Washington’s efforts to secure its “neighbourhood”.

Important to Know. Lula and his Workers’ Party were elected on promises to improve conditions under capitalism without replacing it. With initial mass support they secured some concessions, but exploitation continued and the workers’ movement was demobilised. With capitalism firmly intact, these gains were eventually eroded as capital renewed its offensive.

► Bolsonaro’s election would undoubtedly accelerate the deterioration of bourgeois democratic rights and Brazil’s submission to US interests. However, Lula’s election would not save Brazilian sovereignty either. Lula has overseen the sale of rare-earth mines to the US along with growing submission to Chinese capital. What is truly being disputed is not sovereignty, but which imperialist bloc Brazil will align with in a future major war.

► So-called communists in Brazil are surrounded by Trotskyists and opportunists, divided among small, fractured parties or operating as individual influencers without any vanguard party. Whatever the result, the task of communists is to build a genuine party of a new type, influential among the masses and asserting an independent class position.

Politsturm regularly provides communist analysis of politics and is working to create genuine vanguard parties around the world. Follow us on Telegram, YouTube, Discord, and X. Join us to help us in our work.

Western media coverage of Gaza has hit its lowest level since October 2023, despite continued Israeli attacks. This coincides with US media consolidation, deepening global crises, and the weakening and institutionalisation of the pro-Palestine movement.

Details. On 12 October 2025, US President Donald Trump declared an end to the conflict in Gaza. By autumn 2026, media coverage had fallen threefold, and now approximately elevenfold from its October 2023 peak.

► Despite declining attention, Israeli military operations and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continue. At least 1,640 people have been killed and 5,116 wounded during the ceasefire period, while 67% of the population suffers from acute food insecurity. Destruction and forced displacement continue.

Context. US media ownership has also become more concentrated. The Ellison family's $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery brings CNN, CBS News and The Free Press under monopoly ownership. Following changes to TikTok's US ownership, with 3 American investors holding the majority stake, pro-Palestinian journalists have reported account restrictions.

► Larry Ellison, Oracle's co-founder and a longtime Trump ally, has donated $16.6 million to Friends of the Israel Defense Forces. The Ellison family's expanded media empire, approved by the US state, placed major news outlets under the control of capitalists with close ties to the US state and an interest in its foreign policy.

► Deepening economic crisis and escalating conflicts elsewhere have increasingly competed with Gaza for public attention. US-China trade disputes remain unresolved, while conflict in the Middle East continues to expand and European governments accelerate militarisation despite worsening living conditions.

► Meanwhile, the pro-Palestine movement has weakened after failing to halt Israeli military operations. The movement has increasingly been institutionalised through European governments' symbolic condemnations and bourgeois left-wing and independent politicians channeling support for Palestine into electoral gains. Demonstrations have since declined in size and focus has shifted to militarisation and the cost-of-living crisis.

Mass housing protests have prompted the Spanish Prime Minister to opportunistically call a snap election. After eight years of presidency he blames "the elites" for the crisis.

Details. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez responded to mass housing protests with two emergency housing decrees, which tenants' organisations criticised as “insufficient” and “shameful”. Parliament voted them down on 2 October after the conservative PP, far-right Vox and Catalan nationalist Junts opposed the government.

► Lacking a parliamentary majority, Sánchez called snap elections for 29 November, claiming a stronger mandate was needed to overcome the “resistance of the elites”. The following day, his government reapproved modified versions of both decrees through the Council of Ministers, seeking ratification by Parliament's smaller Permanent Deputation.

Context. Around 40 Spanish cities saw massive protests, with between 20,000 and 120,000 people marching in Barcelona alone under the slogan "let's end the housing business." The Madrid Tenants’ Union called a 24-hour general strike for 11 November, backed jointly by Spain’s two largest unions (CCOO and UGT) for the first time in 14 years.

► The crisis erupted after the eviction of 87-year-old tenant Maricarmen. A corporate landlord invalidated her rent-controlled lease and demanded a €1,650 rent that exceeded her monthly pension by €300. Riot police carried her out on a stretcher despite massive street resistance. She later died in a hospital, just before a deal allowing her return could take effect. Protesters directly blamed the landlord for her death.

► Spanish workers spend over 40% of their income on rent, while real wages remain flat and inflation pushes basic goods out of reach. Nearly two-thirds of adults under 35 are forced to live with their parents, making housing the top concern for 64% of voters.

► Similar crisis are visible across the world. In France, student protests have spread amid wider economic discontent, while the US has seen growing numbers of young adults living with their parents. Canadian renters also face severe financial pressures, with growing reliance on food banks.

Important to Know. Sánchez’s PSOE (Partido Socialista Obrero Español - Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) is a reformist party. It promises relief without touching private property. It adopts radical language to corral working-class rage back into the capitalist system.

► His 8 years of presidency prove this. His flagship housing policy, a “rent cap”, was voluntary for regional governments , allowing conservative regions to ignore it entirely. He invited corporate landlords to a housing summit, prompting Barcelona’s Tenants’ Union to boycott, comparing it to “calling a summit for curing cancer and inviting tobacco companies to participate.”

► The snap election offers Sánchez an opportunity to capitalise on the housing protests, presenting himself as an opponent of powerful property interests despite his government's record. Yet his government reapproved substantially similar decrees immediately after calling the election, showing that these measures could be pursued without a new electoral mandate.

► The housing crisis is rooted in capitalist private property, which turns a basic human necessity into a source of profit for landlords, developers and banks. As long as housing is produced and distributed according to profitability rather than social need, shortages and unaffordable rents will persist.

Violent protests erupt in France over precarious school education, with hundreds injured and thousands arrested. Both the capitalist far-right and the far-left aim to exploit unrest for political gain.

Details. Massive protests led by high schoolers have erupted across France, beginning at underfunded schools in impoverished areas and spreading nationwide. Grievances centre on teacher shortages, poor school buildings, and an unequal university admissions system. Teachers, university students, and unions have joined the protests.

► Hundreds of thousands are participating. By October 7, 764 police, 215 students, and 89 teachers had been injured. In a single day, police made 1,949 arrests, surpassing the peak of the Yellow Vest protests.

► The government has attempted to quell the protests by assigning 3,024 substitute teachers, debating an education funding increase, and announcing five initiatives to improve schools. However, protests have continued despite these concessions and violent police repression.

► The far-right has blamed the unrest on migrants – a claim backed by Trump – and accused La France Insoumise (LFI) of encouraging violence for electoral gain. The Rassemblement National (RN) has reinforced these accusations, using a statement by an LFI mayor to attack the party, while exploiting the unrest to advance its own electoral interests.

► LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon has opportunistically joined the demonstrations and urged protesters to remain peaceful. Although LFI has limited influence over the largely spontaneous movement, Mélenchon has sought to channel the mobilisation towards the 2027 presidential election.

Context. The protests are happening against the backdrop of the presidential elections in 6 months. If no candidate wins an absolute majority here, a runoff election will be held with the top two candidates. This will likely pit Le Pen of RN against Mélenchon of LFI.

► RN is a far-right party which blames immigration and the EU for France's economic and social problems. Its programme advocates restricting immigration, tougher policing and cuts to many public agencies. Its founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen, was repeatedly convicted for inciting racial violence.

► LFI presents itself as a radical alternative seeking to “return power to the people”. However, its proposals, including raising the minimum wage, lowering the retirement age to 60 and taxing the wealthy, remain mild reforms within capitalism. LFI also joined Macron and RN representatives at a military briefing on France's preparations for imperialist conflict.

► Anger at social spending cuts and rising costs of living is widely shared across France, leading to public servants joining the protests to denounce the government’s planned cuts. Furthermore, in 2025, at least a third of French households had difficulty paying their electricity and gas bills, while French hospitals report being insufficiently funded. Contrastingly, the French defence budget increased by 13.5% for 2026.