Investigation into attack on French police

The petrol bomb French police officers faced in Paris on Saturday night has prompted an investigation into the attempted murder of a police officer, amid a weekend of youth-led protests across Europe.

The Paris prosecutor's office said incendiary devices were thrown at a group of about 15 gendarmes and police officers, and that a formal investigation had been opened for "attempted murder of persons vested with public authority". Reported injuries included second-degree burns, in an incident captured on mobile phone video and broadcast on French television.

Night of violence across France

An estimated 320,000 demonstrators, some in Halloween costume, marched in France on Saturday night. Violence erupted in the French capital as well as Marseille, Grenoble, Bordeaux, Lyon and Toulouse, and more than 770 people were arrested.

• •Paris
• •Marseille
• •Grenoble
• •Bordeaux
• •Lyon
• •Toulouse

Interior minister Laurent Nuñez described what he called an "extraordinary" level of violence. The unrest was nonetheless significantly lower than on 17 October, when 2,600 people were arrested and as many as 3,000 shops were pillaged.

Frankfurt riots and German response

More than 100,000 protesters marched in over 30 German cities on Saturday, led by the 'Gen Z regelt' campaign, demanding better education and lower living costs. In Frankfurt, rioters damaged stores and injured more than 100 police officers.

Hesse state interior minister Roman Poseck said hooded rioters damaged 17 Frankfurt shops, looting five of them, and threw missiles including petrol bombs. More than 100 of the 1,300 police officers deployed in the city were injured and 54 suspects, aged from 13 to 29, were arrested.

Poseck said most of those arrested were German nationals, and police estimated they faced between 1,000 and 1,500 violent troublemakers, predominantly from a migrant background. Violence also broke out in Cologne, where police used water cannon, and in Berlin, where protesters attacked police with bottles and fireworks.

German interior minister Alexander Dobrindt said: "The rioters and looters will be identified and held accountable". He singled out violent left-wing groups and troublemakers from the migrant community, and said tough penalties must follow such a breach of the peace. Telling Bild that a heavy police presence across multiple locations had been effective, he said excesses of violence like those in Paris had been prevented thanks to Germany's highly committed police forces.

The Gen Z regelt campaign posted a statement distancing itself from all violence.

Lisbon, Tirana and Swiss unrest

Elsewhere in Europe, riot police removed protesters by force from Rossio Square in Lisbon at about 4.30am on Sunday, after thousands marching against the housing crisis set up camp. Their demand is that Portugal's minority centre-right government withdraw a bill easing evictions and ending rent caps on new leases; a smaller camp in Porto was also cleared.

In Tirana, Albania, masked protesters threw stones and firebombs at police during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama over perceived corruption. Albania's interior ministry said 350 people had been hurt, including 200 police, with 269 minors arrested.

In Switzerland, hundreds gathered in Zürich and Basel on Saturday night for unauthorised demonstrations under the slogan "We've had enough in Switzerland, too", and both ended in violence.

• •In Zürich, police used water cannon, teargas and rubber bullets against rioters attacking with fireworks, bottles and stones; a patrol car was damaged and bins and electric bikes were set on fire.
• •In Basel, about 150 people gathered in the city centre at around 9pm; shop windows were smashed, graffiti tagged and bins and bikes set on fire, with incidents also reported in Geneva.

The attempted murder investigation in Paris is under way, led by the Paris prosecutor's office after the attack on about 15 officers.