The Italian government has decided to deploy around 500 military personnel to Milan after protests the high cost of living over the past weekend escalated into clashes with police, acts of vandalism, and looting in the city center.
According to authorities and Italian media, the unrest began on Saturday, October 17, amid demonstrations organized against rising prices, low wages, and the state of public services. Peaceful rallies involving thousands of people (around 5,000 in Milan alone) quickly turned violent: groups of participants, many wearing masks and estimated by police to be minors, threw stones, bottles, and other objects at law enforcement, set fire to bins and barricades, smashed shop windows, and looted stores in the area around Piazza del Duomo and nearby streets. Clashes continued Sunday. Police used tear gas and water cannons. According to various reports, more than 270 people were detained in Milan, a significant portion of them minors; dozens of participants were arrested.
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini and other government representatives stated the need for a firm response. The decision to send additional military personnel (as part of strengthening the “Strade Sicure” operation) is expected to be included in a package of security measures that Giorgia Meloni’s cabinet plans to approve at a meeting on Tuesday. The troops are to reinforce patrols and assist police in maintaining order.
Tightened security measures are being introduced ahead of new demonstrations scheduled for Saturday. Authorities stressed that the right to peaceful protest remains but acts of violence and destruction will be firmly suppressed. In central Milan, including luxury shopping streets, a number of stores have already boarded up their windows and increased security in anticipation of a possible recurrence of the unrest.
Prime Minister Meloni previously condemned the violence, noting that “demonstrating is a right, but turning our cities into a battlefield is not.” The opposition also condemned the riots, calling for legitimate social demands not to be mixed with acts of vandalism.
