Images of burned-out cars and smashed-in store windows across France flooded social media over the weekend as hundreds of thousands of protestors took to the streets. The disparity in political activity is startling, leaving many asking why so many young people are mobilizing throughout Europe—not only in France, but also in Belgium, Spain, and Portugal. While the poor conditions plaguing France’s high schools were the initial catalyst, the demonstrations have since expanded into a much larger movement, sparking unrest around Europe over the skyrocketing cost of living. From high housing and food costs to soaring fuel prices, Europeans, like Americans, are suffering through an affordability crisis. French high school students and teachers are demanding better funding for education amid a massive teacher shortage. France’s largest labor union is calling for lower prices and increased wages. The movement is gaining ground in Belgium, where 150 people were arrested in Brussels amid protests to cuts in French-speaking education and Portugal, where hundreds gathered in Lisbon protesting housing costs that surged 124% from 2015 to 2024. This echoes recent demonstrations in Spain, where tens of thousands took to Madrid’s streets over the housing crisis after an 87-year-old disabled woman was evicted from her longtime home. A similar crisis is happening in Italy where shops were boarded up in Milan after protests led to violent clashes with police, massive store looting, and vandalism.