French prime minister Sebastien Lecornu has admitted shortcomings in the government’s handling of Saturday’s protests.

“As with all difficult operations, there are things you get right, and things that go wrong,” he was quoted as saying by Le Monde.

“We have nothing to hide.”

Across Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux and other cities, police were overwhelmed by unprecedented violence and failed to prevent widespread destruction and looting of thousands of shops.

Interior minister Laurent Nunez said: “We obviously need to be better at anticipating protests as they unfold,” because “the measures put in place ended up asymmetrical with the number of participants.”

Italy is deploying 500 soldiers to Milan after cost of living protests escalated into clashes with police, vandalism and looting.

Prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s government has announced tougher security measures and penalties for rioters, including potential financial liability for parents of children involved in looting or vandalism.

France is also stepping up security ahead of planned Saturday demonstrations, deploying military personnel to support police and promising a “massive” police presence following last weekend’s riots.

Sunday’s NFL matchup in Paris between the New Orleans Saints and the Pittsburgh Steelers will proceed as scheduled under heightened security measures, the league announced Tuesday, following a period of violent unrest that engulfed the French capital.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu confirmed Tuesday that military personnel will reinforce police in a “massive” security operation targeting demonstrations set for Saturday, following looting and widespread rioting across Paris and other French cities on October 17.

Never think it cannot happen here. We do not have a history of taking to the streets and setting fire to things every now and again as the French do. The last time that Paris was in flames, the authorities eventually reported that the crisis was over, and the number of cars being burned in the suburbs had returned to the “normal level”.

The normal level in London is zero, but we have had riots and looting that seemed to come out of nowhere – the last big outbreak being in the summer of 2011. We have had localised eruptions of political violence, but what is most alarming is the polarisation of opinions and the increasing expression of extreme views.

This is what creates the conditions in which the sparks of disorder are more likely to be lit which will start a French-style conflagration.

France will deploy its Sentinelle military force this Saturday to guard sites and free up police officers to maintain order during planned protests.

Prime minister Sébastien Lecornu has promised a massive police deployment aimed at securing an immediate return to calm following violent weekend unrest.

Partial curfews have been enforced in several cities, including Paris, Nice and Marseille, after thousands of rioters were arrested during nationwide protests.

Justice minister Gérald Darmanin pledged an unrelenting response to any further acts of violence.

The riots have spread across Europe to Belgium, Albania and Italy, where 500 military troops are being deployed to defend Milan.

A weekend of rioting and violence in Milan was caused by a “hybrid war” being waged against the West, Italy’s defence minister warned on Tuesday.

“The events in Milan and elsewhere in Italy are fundamentally different from those seen in other eras,” Guido Crosetto said.

Thirty-four years ago next month, Rage Against the Machine’s eponymous debut was released. Though it was a slow burner, it became a commercial and cultural hit, largely due to the popularity of “Killing in the Name”, which became a Gen X anthem. A chorus containing the line “f*** you, I won’t do what you tell me” proved irresistible to nihilistic Nineties teens and young adults, who were angry with the government and a system that they didn’t see working for them.

The song’s chorus speaks directly to where the youth find themselves today. Jonah, 15, has been playing the record on rotation since he was introduced to the band by his dad; the only thing he doesn’t get, according to his dad Simon, 51, is what on earth the Nineties kids had to be so angry about. From a Gen A and Gen Z point of view, their Gen X parents lived the dream, coming of age at a time when houses were affordable, culture more accessible, the job market less scary, and gaining a university degree still delivered on its promise.

Violent protests have broken out across Europe amid growing frustration over the cost of living crisis, a lack of affordable housing and deteriorating school conditions.

As many as 550,000 people turned out across France on Saturday, according to authorities, to demonstrate against declining public services. Protests turned violent in Paris as shops were looted and cars set on fire in some of the city’s worst violence in years.

Italy approved a raft of security measures on Tuesday including a new offence of violent participation in a demonstration, tougher penalties for rioters, and financial liability for parents whose children take part in vandalism and looting.

The move comes after sweeping unrest across the country following protests over the weekend.

“There is nothing revolutionary about vandalising and stealing. Vandalism and theft are not protest, they are criminality,” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on social media.