In brief
Violent clashes erupted over the weekend as protestors in Milan marched against rising living costs. More than 5,000 people joined, police used tear gas and water cannons, and over 200 arrests—including many minors—were recorded. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called an emergency security meeting and demanded unanimous condemnation of the rioting, while the unrest spilled into Turin and Bologna. The city mayor warned that the violence is a new phenomenon linked to a broader international trend. The government faces a looming election next year amid calls for a united response to the unrest.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called an emergency security meeting after a weekend of violent clashes in Milan over the cost of living.
More than 5,000 people gathered in the city center, marching in what began as peaceful protests but soon turned into violent unrest. Police used tear gas and water cannons after protestors, many wearing masks, hurled paving stones, bins and chairs at officers.
Meloni warned that the demonstrations had been turned into “hooliganism” and “chaos” by those looking to damage cities, urging a swift and strong response.
Across northern Italy the turmoil spread: the mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, described the scene as a new phenomenon linked to an international trend, reporting smashed windows, looted stores and frightened residents. In Turin, police detained protestors carrying cobblestones and window‑breaking hammers; a train station in Bologna was closed as a precaution.
The local prosecutor’s office has requested prison sentences for five adults arrested for looting, vandalism and resisting arrest, while more than 200 people—about 80% of whom are minors—have been detained, according to Ansa and AGI reports.
As the country heads toward next year’s elections, Meloni called on political opponents to unequivocally condemn the rioting, saying that any hesitation would be “justification.” Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein noted her party’s condemnation of violence but urged that peaceful protestors should not be silenced.
The violent unrest follows student-led anti‑government protests in several Italian cities and mirrors similar disturbances across Europe, including France and Spain.
