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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Jon Henley and Guardian correspondents

Europe’s far right seizes on protest violence to push authoritarian anti-immigration agenda

Riot police in helmets and body armour stand guard near a large street fire in Paris
A fire burns as police officers in riot gear stand guard in Paris. Photograph: Abdul Saboor/Reuters

Europe’s far-right leaders have jumped on the violence that rocked numerous cities last weekend, framing it as the inevitable consequence of failed liberal governance and open-border policies and insisting only they can restore law and order.

Months away from key elections in Spain, France and Italy, authoritarian nationalists are eager to weaponise the wave of street unrest, originating in peaceful protests over the cost of living and deteriorating public services but hijacked by violent rioters.

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