A wave of student protests has spread across several European countries in recent weeks, with France at its centre, where demonstrations over staff shortages, underfunded schools and run-down facilities have continued since mid-September.

The French protests began on September 17th, when teachers at a high school in south-eastern Paris protested over staff shortages and students joined them, Australia’s ABC News reported. Demonstrations followed in Spain, Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Albania, and smaller protests took place in Greece, Austria, Ireland and Germany, according to the same report. What began over education has since widened to include the cost of living and public-sector cuts.

In this context, the Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO) has come under the spotlight following its announcement of support for student protests in France and Belgium, and subsequently in Albania.

Several European reports have drawn links between FEMYSO and the Muslim Brotherhood, describing the student forum as the organisation’s youth wing. Among the most notable is a report by a French National Assembly investigative committee, published in December 2025, which points to close ties between the forum and networks linked to the Muslim Brotherhood and characterises its role as contributing to the spread of the movement’s ideas across Europe.

In a parliamentary question submitted in 2025, Germany’s Baden-Württemberg State Office for the Protection of the Constitution was cited as viewing FEMYSO as an umbrella organisation for youth groups with links to the Muslim Brotherhood.

FEMYSO, however, rejects these allegations. In a previous statement, the organisation affirmed that it has no ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Statements of Support for Protests Across Europe

On October 9th, the forum announced its solidarity with student demonstrations in France and Belgium. On October 18, it declared its support for student and youth protests in Albania, while also referring to ongoing demonstrations in Spain and Greece in the same context.

On October 15th, 2026, the French Muslim Students Association (Étudiants Musulmans de France, EMF), a member organisation of FEMYSO, went beyond expressing solidarity. It called on students, education workers and the broader social movement to join a nationwide mobilisation scheduled for October 17th, reaffirming its support for demonstrations stretching from Paris to Marseille and from Bordeaux to Strasbourg.

In a statement, EMF stressed the need to build a balance of power through protests. The statement came just two days before large-scale demonstrations took place across France, attracting hundreds of thousands of participants in largely peaceful gatherings before separate groups became involved in acts of violence, looting, arson and attacks on police officers and public buildings. These incidents reportedly resulted in more than 1,000 arrests and injuries to dozens of security personnel.

Such initiatives and calls for participation in demonstrations have raised concerns that political Islamist networks may seek to capitalise on public discontent, particularly when protests are accompanied by public disorder or acts of vandalism. This, critics fear, could turn student and social demands into instruments for expanding organisational influence and securing political leverage.

According to official French data, masked and violent individuals were present at the demonstrations. In several cities, shops were looted, while cars and rubbish bins were set on fire. In the city of Limoges, flames engulfed the historic town hall, a building dating back to 1883.

The same data indicated that 1,800 people had been arrested and more than 500 police officers and firefighters had been injured. In response to the violence and rioting, the French government announced the imposition of curfews in several cities.

Concerns Reach the Heart of European Institutions

These developments come at a time when the activities of organisations suspected of having links to the Muslim Brotherhood are facing increasing political scrutiny.

On September 15th, 2026, French MP Constance Le Grip submitted a written question to the government concerning European funding for projects involving FEMYSO, calling for clarification of funding mechanisms and oversight procedures governing grants.

The question followed recent reports and studies that raised concerns over the continued involvement of FEMYSO in projects benefiting from European funding, despite an earlier announcement by the European Commission that the organisation was no longer receiving direct funding.

FEMYSO has consequently become one of the most contentious issues in the wider European debate.

A recent study published by CERIF and AK Polis in September examined the organisation’s participation in the EmpowerAction project, which forms part of the TACKLE initiative funded by the European Union through its DEAR programme.

According to the study, the funding does not necessarily take the form of a direct EU operating grant to FEMYSO. Instead, it may be channelled through partner organisations, projects and sub-granting mechanisms.

This has raised concerns that European funds could reach an organisation through a project led by another partner or through a consortium and its sub-granting arrangements.

Against the backdrop of FEMYSO’s visibility in the protests, some of which were subsequently accompanied by violence and looting, as well as allegations of links to the Muslim Brotherhood, concerns have emerged over the possibility that the organisation could gain a foothold in current social unrest and convert it into political influence by winning the sympathy of European communities and left-wing parties.

FEMYSO: Background, Membership and European Footprint 

The Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO) describes itself as a European umbrella organisation bringing together Muslim youth and student associations.

FEMYSO currently comprises 32 member organisations across 22 European countries. Its roots date back to 1995, when the first meeting of Muslim youth organisations was held in Sweden.

The following year, FEMYSO was formally established at a meeting in Leicester, United Kingdom, which brought together 19 organisations from 11 countries. In 2000, the forum established its headquarters in Brussels.

LeBron James is officially back in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump over his performative antics during the national anthem during his debut with the Philadelphia 76ers this week.

James, who has turned into something of a golf addict, was spotted taking some practice swings in his new 76ers gear as the rest of the team stood respecting the anthem during Tuesday's game against the defending NBA champions.

Trump is absolutely fed up.

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"While listening to our National Anthem, LeBron James disrespects our Country! I said right from the beginning that he’s no good, a TOTAL DISGRACE. LeBron James should apologize to all of those Great American Warriors and Heroes who died for the American Flag, and all that our Country stands for!" the President wrote Thursday in a Truth Social post.

This isn't the first time James has pulled this stunt. Last year, on Christmas Day, while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, he went through the same golf swing routine.

TRUMP WEIGHS IN ON LEBRON JAMES VS MICHAEL JORDAN DEBATE: 'I ONLY LIKE PEOPLE THAT LIKE ME'

It's no secret that Trump isn't a fan of James. Earlier this year, the president said why he believes Michael Jordan was better than James.

"Michael Jordan is a guy that's a friend of mine, play golf with him. He's a really good guy. And I think LeBron is, maybe he's a racist, but maybe he doesn't like Trump, I don't know. But I only like people that like me. So, I would say Michael Jordan all the way," the president said.

LeBron's history of anthem antics

In October 2019, as James was embroiled in drama surrounding his loving support of China, he pulled this stunt during the anthem. "LeBron is READY," the NBA on ESPN Twitter account proudly tweeted as if it was Game 7 of the NBA Finals. 

Do you want more instances of LeBron disrespecting the anthem? Let's fast-forward to 2023 at a USC basketball game featuring his son, Bronny James. That's the drama queen arriving to his seats during the anthem and taking a seat as the rest of the arena shows respect. 

French President Emmanuel Macron vowed Thursday to ban protests by "individuals or groups with no legitimate authority" as he blamed "ultra-left groups" for riots and looting that spread across his country.

Macron made the remarks as thousands of protesters took to the streets of Paris on Thursday, according to The Associated Press, ahead of larger demonstrations set for this weekend.

"Last Saturday we had political and seditious acts by ultra-left groups whose aim is to bring down the Republic," Macron was quoted by Reuters as saying following a meeting with intelligence officials.

The news agency reported that businesses in central Paris have started boarding up their windows over concerns of violence on Saturday. Local authorities also told Reuters that protests planned for Saturday in Lyon have been banned.

FRANCE COULD FACE EVEN WORSE DESTRUCTION WITH SECOND WEEKEND OF PLANNED RIOTS, STATE DEPT WARNS

Macron said the strategy adopted for the coming days is to ban protests requested by "individuals or groups with no legitimate authority."

"Where trade unions submit requests to hold demonstrations, prefects will examine them in accordance with the law, but alternative routes will be proposed" to protect city centers, businesses and public buildings, Macron said.

"The rules are simple, and I think they're just common sense. The general recommendation is that there should be no demonstrations in the coming days," he said. "For those who still want to protest, if they are trade unions, prefects will propose alternative routes."

Organizers of the Paris protest on Thursday said an administrative court in the city overturned a ban issued by police after they challenged it. The Paris police prefecture previously said the ban was necessary, given the risk of street violence after groups of masked youth clashed with police forces, looted shops and torched cars over the weekend.

AMERICANS WARNED ABOUT PARIS TRAVEL AFTER VIOLENCE, LOOTING AND TEAR GAS-FILLED STREETS

The protests began in France in September with calls for education reform, before expanding into larger anti-government demonstrations that French officials say are being fueled by far-left groups.

Protesters gathered peacefully and chanted in the southeastern part of Paris on Thursday while they were watched by a heavy police presence, the AP reported.

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Thursday's planned protests were seen as a prelude to Saturday's big demonstration, when activists from the "yellow vest" movement, whose demonstrations over fuel prices shook France in 2018 and 2019, and the CGT labor union, are expected to join.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Modern Times Café, the Minneapolis restaurant that eliminated prices for meals to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has apparently protested itself right out of business.

The post Minneapolis Restaurant that Eliminated Prices to Protest ICE Raids Announces It Will Close appeared first on Breitbart.

French president also says he will decide on concrete ‘next steps’ for the next nationwide demonstrations

• Angry lawyers and bewildered defendants: the fallout from fast-tracking French rioting cases

Emmanuel Macron has said “illegitimate” demonstrations will be banned over the coming days as France seeks to get a grip on civil unrest after some of its worst street violence in years erupted on the fringes of cost of living protests at the weekend.

Speaking after a ​meeting with intelligence officials and senior ministers, the French president said on Thursday that demonstrations organised by recognised groups would be allowed to go ahead, although their routes could be changed.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Ibrahim Ezzat/Anadolu/Getty Images

© Photograph: Ibrahim Ezzat/Anadolu/Getty Images

© Photograph: Ibrahim Ezzat/Anadolu/Getty Images

French president also says he will decide on concrete ‘next steps’ for the next nationwide demonstrations

• Angry lawyers and bewildered defendants: the fallout from fast-tracking French rioting cases

Emmanuel Macron has said “illegitimate” demonstrations will be banned over the coming days as France seeks to get a grip on civil unrest after some of its worst street violence in years erupted on the fringes of cost of living protests at the weekend.

Speaking after a ​meeting with intelligence officials and senior ministers, the French president said on Thursday that demonstrations organised by recognised groups would be allowed to go ahead, although their routes could be changed.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Ibrahim Ezzat/Anadolu/Getty Images

© Photograph: Ibrahim Ezzat/Anadolu/Getty Images

© Photograph: Ibrahim Ezzat/Anadolu/Getty Images

Macron says restrictions are needed to protect city centers and public buildings after a weekend of the country’s worst violence in years

FIRST ON FOX: A French business owner who had five of her family's stores wrecked by looters last week said this coming Saturday's protest could be a watershed moment for France.

Her message to President Emmanuel Macron: "Next Saturday is your last chance to save France," Michele Teboul, the business owner, said in an interview with Fox News Digital. 

Addressing both Interior Minister Laurent Nunez and Macron, she said, "If they don't do what’s necessary to do next Saturday, I think it is lost for France."

Teboul lost more than merchandise when looters ransacked 15 of the stores owned by her family, leaving five completely destroyed. She is also losing faith in whether the government of France can still protect them.

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: FRANCE BRACES FOR MORE UNREST AFTER PARTS OF PARIS SPUN OUT OF CONTROL

Teboul accused authorities of failing to provide enough police to protect businesses, leaving families like hers facing destroyed stores and a costly recovery. She demanded that they protect the population before another Saturday. 

Her retail operations include stores in Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille and Montpellier. Her sons work within the same company and operate their own brand, she said.

For her family, protections put in place before the violence proved insufficient. Attackers used axes to break through boarding, she said, leaving her sons facing a difficult recovery.

"We can say that five of the most important stores have been looted," she said, describing those locations as "completely destroyed."

Now, her family needs to pay for additional protection while trying to meet insurance security requirements.

Teboul said it would take at least two months to repair and secure the stores to the required standards. She described those requirements as a condition for obtaining insurance coverage, adding another obstacle to reopening and recovering the business.

"I think the winter season is dead," she said.

VIOLENCE ERUPTS AT FRANCE PROTESTS AS MACRON WARNS UNREST IS BEING EXPLOITED

Companies with established operations and financial reserves may be able to absorb the disruption, she said. Younger businesses face a more difficult path.

"The government said they would help us," Teboul said. "We are going to see."

Her sons have hired security guards with dogs. She also said she had heard of other shopkeepers obtaining weapons or tear gas, emphasizing that her sons had not purchased weapons.

"Some have bought weapons," she said. "You know, we are not used to weapons in France."

The concern extends beyond damaged merchandise and storefronts. Teboul, who is Jewish, said that many Jews are considering leaving France and warned that further disorder could deepen that uncertainty if things don't get better.

SOME SYNAGOGUES CANCELED PRAYERS AS FRENCH JEWS FACED WARNINGS AMID VIOLENT PROTESTS

"It is going to be very hard to imagine a future in France for us, especially for Jews," she said of her hope that the coming Saturday would be different.

Teboul said Jewish schools, synagogues and community businesses have dedicated security arrangements. Teboul is a former director of CRIF, the umbrella organization representing French Jewish institutions.

She stressed, however, that the weekend's violence was a national problem affecting people beyond the Jewish community.

"The specific problem of last Saturday is not a problem of Jews," she said. "The whole of France is concerned by this problem."

Teboul said looters sought streetwear and expensive merchandise. She accused police of failing to protect businesses during the unrest on Saturday, saying officers were overwhelmed as large crowds descended on city centers, particularly in Marseille and Lyon.

She cited an estimate she had heard being talked of as being around 30,000 young people arriving in central Marseille, a figure Fox News Digital could not independently verify.

Leading French broadcaster BFM reported on its X account that "Between 1,800 and 3,000 people" engaged in "the ransacking of the city center of Marseille, according to the prosecutor's estimates."

MACRON JETS OUT OF RIOT-TORN FRANCE FOR GULF TRIP AS POLITICAL PRESSURE MOUNTS

"They were not enough," she said of the police.

The French government has acknowledged failures in its response to the unrest.

She said that authorities had mistaken the threat for an ordinary demonstration. "Of course they could prevent it," she added.

Teboul distinguished between students protesting over grievances and those who used the demonstrations as cover to steal.

"There were two events on Saturday," she said. "The looters, they took the opportunity that there were many people downtown, and then they came."

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For Teboul, the next test is whether authorities can protect what remains of their livelihood and everyone else in the country and restore their sense of security in France.

"We have to feel secure," she said. "We do not feel secure for the moment."

Teboul warned that another failure to protect the population could also have consequences for the government of Emmanuel Macron.

"The government may fall down," she said.

Fox News Digital's Sydney Finver contributed to this report. 

As violent riots grip France, British political leader Nigel Farage warned Americans against repeating what he described as Europe's mass immigration failures, arguing that years of unchecked migration have transformed European cities and fueled unrest that could eventually spread elsewhere.

"People like me who were warning about this years ago have sadly been proven right, but the problems are gonna be here for a very, very long time," Farage told Fox News Digital in an interview. "Please, please don't make the same level of mistakes that we have," he said in his message to Americans.

Violent riots have erupted across parts of Europe in recent weeks, particularly in France, with Farage pointing to years of mass migration and failed political leadership as key factors fueling the unrest. The Reform UK leader singled out Emmanuel Macron, arguing that the French president should have mobilized the military to confront the violence, after education protests spiraled into riots, destruction and theft.

MACRON JETS OUT OF RIOT-TORN FRANCE FOR GULF TRIP AS POLITICAL PRESSURE MOUNTS

"Macron was asleep at the wheel, and it isn't just that he was at a concert," Farage said. "And whilst the French do have effective police forces, the scale of the uprising, I mean the mass looting, the mass looting and violence that took place in Paris was genuinely horrendous."

"Meloni's reaction was swifter and a better sign of leadership," Farage said, referring to the Italian leader deploying 500 military troops to Milan in response to recent riots. "But the problem is, for people like Macron, who have always said, any criticism of immigration, whether legal or illegal, makes you racist, they psychologically find it hard to face up to their own failures of policy."

Farage warned that the unrest he described in France and elsewhere in Europe could eventually erupt in Britain, pointing to demonstrations in London and questioning whether British leaders would respond more forcefully than Macron.

ITALY UNLEASHES MILITARY RESPONSE TO VIOLENT RIOTS AS FRANCE FACES A RECKONING OF ITS OWN

"You know, my real worry is they can happen in this country too," Farage said. "We've got the same hard left here. We've the same hate mobs that march, chanting in the streets of London, from the river to the sea."

"I'm concerned that these things could happen here. And I wonder whether a British prime minister has got any more courage than President Macron in France," he added.

Farage contrasted Europe's failure to control its borders with President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown in the United States.

TRUMP, WALTZ LINK FRANCE RIOTS TO MASS IMMIGRATION AS THOUSANDS ARE ARRESTED

"Look, whatever you think of President Trump's current policies, one thing he has done, and he promised he'd do. He's closed the southern border," Farage said.

Trump vowed Tuesday to treat potential rioters in the U.S. "very rough," pointing to the unrest in France, he said at a rally in Greenville, North Carolina, before being interrupted by a protestor in the crowd.

"They're crazy, these people. Look at that guy. He's a nutjob," Trump said, in reference to the protester.

He warned that he would crack down on potential threats, saying he would not allow similar unrest to take hold in the U.S.

FRANCE COULD FACE EVEN WORSE DESTRUCTION WITH SECOND WEEKEND OF PLANNED RIOTS, STATE DEPT WARNS

"That's what you witness over the last three or four days. You watch nutjobs like him in France ruining their country," Trump said. "We're not going to put up with it by the way."

"If a possible threat, which could happen, I hope you won't get angry if I treat them very, very rough, because that's what's going to happen. They're not going to destroy our country," he said.

On Tuesday, British counterterrorism police rearrested two men suspected of assisting Iranian intelligence in an alleged plot targeting RAF Fairford, a U.K. base used by U.S. bombers.

Authorities say Iranian state involvement is "highly likely," though no charges have been filed.

FOILED TERROR PLOT AT BOMBER BASE SIGNALS WIDER THREAT TO US MILITARY INSTALLATIONS: EXPERT

Farage said he has foreshadowed such criminal acts, alleging that Iran has exploited illegal crossings of the English Channel to move operatives into Britain.

"I've called again and again for this to be declared a national security emergency. I have been ignored. If the Americans removing their bombers from RAF Fairford isn't enough warning. I don't know what is," he said.

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"We've just become so caught up over here in Europe and Britain with this human rights culture, which puts the interests, frankly, of the bad guys above the interests of the majority."

Zini's working trip reportedly planned a while ago, included meetings with top intelligence officials to discuss confronting terrorism and Islamic extremism

ATLANTA – A change of cities did not bring a change in the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries’ national anthem routine.

Both teams were off the court during the anthem before Game 3 of the WNBA Finals on Wednesday night at State Farm Arena, marking their third straight absence despite a provision in the league’s own rulebook calling for players to stand and line up during the performance.

Just like in Games 1 and 2, players jogged off the court just seconds before the start of the anthem and returned mere moments after it concluded.

DREAM, VALKYRIES SKIP NATIONAL ANTHEM IN WNBA FINALS GAME 2 DESPITE RULEBOOK REQUIREMENT

The WNBA, both teams and the NBA still have not answered OutKick’s questions about the absences.

WNBA rulebook calls for players to stand and line up

The WNBA’s 2026 official rulebook says players, coaches and trainers are to "stand and line up in a dignified posture" along the sidelines or on the foul line during the national anthem.

OutKick asked the WNBA whether any discipline was planned or under consideration following the anthem absences, whether either team had received an exemption and whether the league would instruct the teams to be on the court for Game 3.

Both teams were asked to explain their absences and whether the league had communicated any instructions or expectations about the anthem.

OutKick first contacted the WNBA, Dream and Valkyries after Saturday’s opener, followed up Sunday and contacted all three again Tuesday.

NBA also received questions before Game 3

The questions extended to the NBA league office before the series moved to Atlanta.

OutKick contacted NBA Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer Mike Bass on Tuesday, asking whether the NBA has any role in overseeing or enforcing the WNBA’s anthem provision.

NBA STAYS SILENT ON WNBA FINALS TEAMS SKIPPING NATIONAL ANTHEM IN GAMES 1 AND 2

The inquiry also asked whether NBA Commissioner Adam Silver or anyone at the NBA league office had discussed the absences with WNBA leadership, whether any guidance had been provided and whether the teams would be instructed to be present for Wednesday’s anthem.

The NBA did not respond.

OutKick also sought to ask about the anthem during the Finals press conferences. I raised my hand at all five of Saturday’s pregame and postgame sessions, all four coaches’ sessions Monday and both coaches’ pregame sessions Wednesday, but was not called on in any of the 11.

VANCE CONDEMNS 'DISGRACEFUL' WNBA NATIONAL ANTHEM WALKOUTS, SAYS PLAYERS SHOULD SHOW MORE GRATITUDE

The teams weren’t the only ones who didn’t stand for Wednesday’s anthem.

Two people seated in an area designated for WNBA public relations staff remained in their seats during the performance. Afterward, I asked both why they hadn’t stood. Neither provided an explanation.

OutKick could not immediately confirm their identities and is working to determine their names and roles.

The venue changed, but the anthem absences continued.

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Three games into the Finals, the WNBA’s own rulebook calls for a lineup, its teams remain off the floor and the league still has not explained the apparent violation.

Serbia's upcoming parliamentary elections on October 25 have been rocked by so-called "student protests" in the runup to Sunday's voting, and USAID funding is still flowing to an organization supporting opponents of Aleksandar Vučić. 

The post Biden-Era USAID Grant Still Funding Leftist Protests in Serbia Ahead of Elections appeared first on Breitbart.

In this segment of Free Media, Reason Senior Editor Robby Soave and Daily Caller Editor in Chief Amber Duke discuss the ongoing violent protests in France. 

If you enjoy Free Media, come watch Robby debate at our upcoming Reason Versus in D.C. Tickets are available here.

The post France's Protests Descend Into Looting and Property Destruction appeared first on Reason Magazine.