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By Emma Marsden
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The U.S. government has issued a travel warning for Americans in Portugal as protests over living costs and housing affordability continue across Europe, with demonstrations also turning violent in parts of Germany and France.
Thousands of people have taken to the streets in several European countries in recent days, following online calls for protests, voicing frustration over rising living costs, housing shortages and public services.
While many demonstrations have remained peaceful, clashes with police, property damage and looting have been reported in several cities.
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Newsweek contacted the U.S. Embassy in Lisbon and the German Federal Ministry of the Interior for comment via email on Monday.
US Issues Warning for Americans in Portugal
The U.S. Department of State issued a security alert on Sunday for Americans in Portugal. On X, the department advised U.S. citizens to remain aware of their surroundings and exercise caution.
Portugal has experienced demonstrations over soaring housing costs, with protesters demanding more affordable accommodation.
The U.S. Embassy warned that demonstrations were taking place in Lisbon and Porto, noting that police had recently used crowd-control measures, including tear gas.
In Lisbon, thousands of people marched through the city on October 31, drawing attention to the housing crisis.
Tensions escalated after several hundred protesters established a camp in Rossio Square. During the early hours of November 1, police removed tents and cleared the encampment.
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Americans were advised to avoid Rossio Square in Lisbon and Praça Dom João I in Porto. The alert also warned that protest routes could change at short notice, and that demonstrations might take place outside authorized areas.
The embassy urged U.S. citizens to monitor local media and remain alert around large gatherings.
Riots and Looting Reported in Germany
Meanwhile, demonstrations took place in more than 30 German cities on Saturday—including Berlin, Cologne and Munich—with several descending into violence over the weekend.
Tens of thousands of people took part in protests organized by the youth campaign group Gen Z regelt, which translates roughly as "Gen Z takes charge."
Protesters called for better education, increased investment in public services and more affordable living conditions, while also opposing a possible return to compulsory military service.
Most demonstrations were initially peaceful, but violence broke out in several cities later in the evening.
Violence erupted at the end of a youth demonstration in Hamburg as masked protesters set fire to barricades and hurled stones and firecrackers at police, prompting officers to deploy pepper spray and water cannons.
In Frankfurt, rioters smashed shop windows, looted stores and threw petrol bombs, rocks and bottles at police and emergency workers, with more than 100 police officers injured.
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Hesse Interior Minister Roman Poseck said 17 shops had been damaged, with five looted. Police deployed about 1,300 officers during the unrest, and more than 100 were injured in clashes.
Authorities arrested 54 people between the ages of 13 and 29.
"During the course of the riots, our emergency personnel were massively attacked, including with thrown glass bottles, pyrotechnics, stones and even Molotov cocktails," Frankfurt police said in a statement on X. "According to the current status, more than 100 colleagues were injured in the process."
Organizers of Gen Z regelt have distanced themselves from any violence, declaring on the group's website: "Against all violence. Our protest is peaceful, without exception."
France Sees Another Weekend of Mass Protests
France also experienced another weekend of demonstrations, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets.
Protests on Saturday centered on rising living costs, purchasing power, education and public services, with young people, students and trade unions among those participating.
French authorities estimated that about 320,000 people attended demonstrations nationwide, while organizers put the figure at 500,000.
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Although most marches remained peaceful, clashes broke out in Paris and other cities.
Police reported 565 arrests nationwide by Saturday evening, according to the French Interior Ministry. Officers also used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse crowds in several cities, including Lyon, Marseille and Paris.
In Paris, four police officers and one gendarme were injured after demonstrators threw paving stones and Molotov cocktails toward law enforcement near the end of an authorized march.
Authorities deployed about 70,000 police officers and gendarmes across France amid concerns about possible violence and disorder.
Protests Continue Across Europe
The demonstrations in Portugal, Germany and France form part of a wider wave of protests across Europe.
Other demonstrations were also reported in Albania, where protesters clashed with police and petrol bombs were thrown during the unrest.
The developments have raised concerns about further disruption, with authorities across several countries preparing for additional demonstrations in the coming days.
The U.S. State Department advises Americans to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) and subscribe to its WhatsApp channel to receive security updates.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Ben Kelly and Shakeema Edwards.
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