Europe’s student riots have spread to Italy, where cities are being plagued by clashes between police officers and hooded protesters.

Thugs threw petrol bombs, firecrackers and glass bottles at cops in cities across the country in protest against worsening school conditions and the high cost of living.

Hooded and masked students were seen spraying fire extinguishers at riot police as a baying crowd cheered them on.

The national protests echo those seen in France and Belgium over the last few weeks. Like their counterparts in Italy, students in those nations have been up in arms over the state of education.

Many demonstrators also called for a cap on the number of foreign students able to study in Italy.

Some also rallied against Italy’s ballooning defence budget, calling for money to be spent on education instead of the military.

In Rome, students marched up to the Ministry of Education, throwing firecrackers and smoke bombs at the building.

Referencing education minister Giuseppe Valditara, they repeatedly chanted: ‘Valditara, get out of the building!’

Rioters were seen on Via Marmorata donning balaclavas and hoodies.

Local media reported a group of around 50 set up barricades with rubbish bins in the middle of the road.

Cops in Rome said they were using videos to identify those who were violent at the protests, adding: ‘The actions of this minority group, however, did not impact the effectiveness of the public order management strategy.’

Protests against Mr Valditara and prime minister Giorgia Meloni took place in Genoa, where rioters threw eggs at posters with their faces.

In Turin, police were forced to use water cannons against rioters. Refusing to retreat, the protesters threw rocks at them.

Thousands of rioters in the city marched to the Regional School Office, where after throwing eggs at cops, they lit a small cardboard tank on fire to protest the use of taxpayer money for arms.

Teachers in the city were seen joining the protests, standing between police and students as human shields.

At one high school in the city of Treviso, local media reported students clambered out of windows to join the march.

Read More: Europe’s student riots spread to Italy as hooded protesters clash with cops sparking chaos in cities