Attempted murder probe opened after petrol bomb thrown at French riot police amid youth protests across Europe

Summary

Peaceful, mainly youth-led protests across Europe ended in street violence. French officials have opened an attempted murder investigation after petrol bombs were thrown at security forces during protests in Paris, and footage of an officer in flames sparked outrage. Hundreds of arrests were made as protesters took to the streets in cities across France for the third weekend in a row. Euronews reports the Paris protests were over the rising cost of living. Germany's interior minister has called for harsh penalties. In Portugal, police, some with dogs, cleared protest camps with baton charges, and in Switzerland security forces were attacked with paving stones. The reporting covers cities in France, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal and Albania.

Timeline

1. RTÉ

   1 Nov 2026, 15:37 UTCSource ↗

   RTÉ reports that France has launched an attempted murder probe after petrol bombs were thrown at security forces during Paris protests, as footage of an officer in flames sparked outrage.

2. The Guardian

   1 Nov 2026, 16:24 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that peaceful, mainly youth-led protests across France, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal and Albania ended in street violence, with French officials opening an attempted murder investigation after a petrol bomb was thrown at riot police.

3. BBC

   2 Nov 2026, 00:15 UTCSource ↗

   The BBC reports that hundreds of arrests were made as protesters took to the streets in cities across France for the third weekend in a row, and that France has launched an attempted murder investigation after a petrol bomb was thrown at police.

4. Euronews

   2 Nov 2026, 09:14 UTCSource ↗

   Euronews reports that France has opened an attempted murder investigation after petrol bombs were thrown at police during protests over the rising cost of living in Paris.