Last Saturday more than half a million people took to the streets throughout France, unleashing wanton destruction not seen in decades there. As many as 3,000 businesses and retail stores were vandalized and looted, and some were burned to the ground.

Masked agitators broke into the Limoges Town Hall, a beloved 143-year-old architectural gem in central France, and set it on fire while employees and visitors were inside. Firefighters were unable to save the clock spire and bell tower, which collapsed in a ball of fire viewable on the internet.

These riots have injured an estimated 1,000 French police officers. More than 2,400 arrests have been made, and Paris neighborhoods have imposed a curfew between 11PM and 6AM.

The business and financial capital of Italy, Milan, which features an immense Gothic cathedral containing 135 spires, was rocked by similar riots. Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, vowed to crack down with emergency measures.

Portugal, Spain, and Albania have also been besieged by large-scale, sometimes violent protests. Tent cities have emerged within Madrid and Lisbon by people unable to afford housing, thereby creating the likelihood of additional crime.

Perhaps anxious about the potential political impact of this Leftist violence on how Americans vote in the midterm elections, the liberal media have blamed the unrest on........

© Townhall