Filming the police at student protests across Europe

What is happening, what stays the same everywhere, and where to find the guide for your country.

Since mid-September 2026, school pupils and university students have been protesting across Europe over teacher shortages, school buildings, housing and fees. In some places there have been clashes with police, tear gas and arrests, many of them of minors. Plenty of people are filming a police intervention in a crowd for the first time. This page collects the verified facts and points to a country guide in each language. It takes no side on the demands or on the violence reported on either side. Its purpose is documenting what happens, whoever is in the wrong.

Short answer. Filming police on duty in a public place is generally protected in the countries we cover (France, Italy, Germany, Greece, Spain). The real risk is physically obstructing an intervention, not the camera. Germany is the exception to watch: sound is the legal risk there (section 201 StGB), and Witness always records sound. As of 21 October 2026, school and student protests with police involvement are reported in France, Italy, Greece and, announced for 31 October, Germany; Spain has a teachers' strike and Portugal a tuition protest. Witness Camera is a free iPhone and Android app that uploads every 15 seconds to storage you own. This is not legal advice.

What is happening, country by country

As of 21 October 2026, from press reports, with figures attributed to whoever gave them. They change quickly and often disagree.

France. A pupil and student movement that began at a school in Créteil in September has spread nationwide. On 13 October the Interior Ministry counted 161,500 demonstrators and the youth unions 480,000, and police used tear gas (Radio-Canada). Time reports over 6,000 arrests, 87% of those detained being minors, citing the Justice Ministry. Guide in French.
Italy. On 16 October, the "No Meloni Day", students marched in at least twelve cities. In Turin, stones and torches were thrown at police, who responded with water cannon and some tear gas, and the Turin police headquarters reported three minors arrested for aggravated resistance (ANSA). A general strike is called for 30 October and a European student strike for 20 November. Guide in Italian.
Germany. Nationwide school protests are announced for 31 October. The organisers, "GenZ regelt", say they reject violence and claim more than 10,000 registrations in 21 cities. A Federal Interior Ministry spokesperson said security agencies are monitoring the calls (News4teachers). Guide in German.
Greece. Students have camped in Athens' Syntagma Square since 13 October over housing and study costs, with a rally at the Propylaia on 21 October (Greek press). In the coverage we found there were no clashes with police. Guide in Greek.
Spain. This is mainly a teachers' strike, not a student protest: an indefinite strike in Madrid's public schools since 14 October, with a march from Atocha on 22 October (El Diario de Madrid). Student and family organisations are reported to be joining (El Economista). Guide in Spanish.
Portugal. Student associations in Lisbon called a protest on 21 October against the Government's proposal to unfreeze tuition fees from 2027/28 (Observador). We found no reports of police incidents. We do not yet have a Portugal-specific legal guide.

We found no comparable student street protests in the Netherlands, Poland, Romania or Sweden, so there are no guides for them in this series. The general guides for those countries are linked from Filming the police in Europe.

What stays the same everywhere

The law protects filming, not obstructing. Across the countries above, standing at a reasonable distance with the phone visible is generally protected. Physically getting in the way of an intervention is the real risk, camera or not. The country pages have the details, with sources. None of this is legal advice.
A crowd is a different job. Stay at the edge, know two exits, film the calm first, say the time aloud every few minutes. See How to film at a protest.
Expect the network to fail. Mobile networks saturate in a crowd. Anything that depends on a live connection should queue on the phone and send when it can.
Many protesters are minors. Documenting is one thing, publishing is another. Keep the original untouched, and blur the faces of minors and bystanders before posting anything.
Prepare beforehand. Passcode instead of biometrics, a full battery, a lawyer's number written on your arm, and a test recording before the day.

Where Witness fits

Witness records with the screen black and uploads every 15 seconds to a storage account you own, so what was already sent survives a seized or smashed phone. Each piece is hashed and the session is time-stamped, and anyone can verify the footage without the app. It does not replace a lawyer, does not make anything lawful that is not, and does not protect you physically.

One caution for Germany. Witness always records sound, and the app has no setting to turn the microphone off. German law treats recording the non-publicly spoken word as an offence (section 201 of the Strafgesetzbuch), and whether an officer's announcement at a public operation counts is disputed. The German guide explains this. If you want to work without sound, Witness is currently the wrong tool for that.

Questions

Can you film the police at a student protest in Europe?

In France, Italy, Germany, Greece and Spain, filming police on duty in a public place is generally protected, and the real limit is physically obstructing an intervention. Germany treats recording the non-publicly spoken word as an offence (section 201 StGB), so sound is the risk there. This is not legal advice, and the country guides give the sources.

Which European countries have student or school protests right now?

As of 21 October 2026: France (a nationwide pupil and student movement since September), Italy (the 16 October “No Meloni Day”), Germany (school protests announced for 31 October), Greece (students camping in Syntagma Square over housing), Spain (a teachers' strike in Madrid) and Portugal (a tuition protest in Lisbon). We found no comparable student street protests in the Netherlands, Poland, Romania or Sweden.

How can I keep my footage if police take my phone?

Use an app that uploads while you record. Witness Camera records with the screen black and uploads a piece every 15 seconds to a cloud account you own, so footage already sent is safe. The piece being recorded and any queued pieces are on the phone.

Does Witness record sound?

Yes, always. Witness has no setting to turn the microphone off. In Germany, where recording the non-publicly spoken word is an offence, that matters, and if you want to work without sound Witness is currently the wrong tool.

Is Witness free?

Yes. Witness Camera (App Store name: Witness: Camera Beyond Reach) is free on iPhone (iOS 17 and later) and Android (11 and later). An optional paid Pro tier adds capture quality, nothing that protects footage.

Sources

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Written on 21 October 2026. The situation and the law change. This is not legal advice.