04France and Germany · Public order and culture
Europe’s cost protests test police legitimacy
Facts
Most demonstrations over living costs and public services were peaceful, but violence produced 779 arrests in France and injured more than 100 officers in Germany; 54 people were detained there.
InterpretationGovernments must protect peaceful dissent while isolating organized violence. Treating every protester as a rioter would be false and politically self-defeating; tolerating looting or attacks on police would transfer leverage from voters to the best-organized street factions.