Italian Security Forces Deploy 500 Soldiers to Milan Following Protests and Clashes
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across Italy to protest Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government and the escalating cost of living, prompting authorities to deploy 500 additional soldiers to Milan following violent unrest the previous week, Al Jazeera reported.
The demonstrations on Saturday spanned eight Italian cities, including Rome, Turin, and Naples, drawing large crowds of young people who voiced deep frustration over inflation, low wages, and housing shortages. In Milan, an estimated 10,000 protesters marched through the city centre before concluding peacefully outside Milan Polytechnic University.
Security Measures and Clashes Across Italian Cities
The nationwide demonstrations followed violent clashes on October 17, when rioters smashed store windows, looted luxury boutiques, and clashed with police in Milan’s central Duomo square. It was reported that the earlier unrest resulted in 45 arrests, including 34 minors.
In response to the violence, Prime Minister Meloni’s government ordered a security mobilization. Alongside the 500 newly dispatched troops in Milan, authorities deployed drone surveillance, rapid-response units, and railway checks. Despite these measures, clashes erupted in other urban centers. Protesters in Rome threw bottles and firecrackers near Largo di Santa Susanna, prompting police to deploy water cannons. Police also used tear gas and batons to disperse crowds near the Piazza della Repubblica.
Police reported that nine people were arrested during Saturday’s demonstrations, with 371 individuals briefly detained across the country. Ahead of the protests, Italian law enforcement carried out more than 150 raids in Milan, Monza, and around 20 other cities targeting individuals suspected of involvement in the previous week’s looting.
October 17 Movement Uses Social Media to Organize
The demonstrations were organized primarily by a newly formed online collective known as the “October 17 Movement,” which utilized Telegram and Instagram to coordinate gatherings. Authorities are investigating a 30-year-old freelance journalist and researcher said to be the “mastermind” of the movement, who remains under investigation on suspicion of inciting crimes.
Defense lawyers and journalists noted that many teenagers joined the crowds after seeing viral calls to action on TikTok and Telegram without fully understanding the reasons behind the protest.
Fuel Blockades Prompt Government Tax Breaks
The urban unrest unfolded alongside separate economic protests in southern Italy, where lorry drivers established roadblocks to protest high petrol prices, disrupting supermarket supplies. In response, the government announced tax breaks and a special relief fund for farmers and fishermen.
Meanwhile, debate has intensified across Italy over the economic pressures facing the younger generation. Business owners and local organizers in Milan noted that the protests reflect years of feeling unheard and invisible among young Italians ahead of general elections next year.
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