Italian police reported that 141 law enforcement officers sustained injuries during violent cost-of-living demonstrations held across the country on Saturday.
Organised by the Italia in Piazza movement, the protests targeted rising living costs, fuel prices, and tax pressures. Police figures indicated that around 5,000 people participated in Milan, 3,000 in Turin, 2,000 in Bologna, 800 in Bergamo, and 600 in Brescia.
Law enforcement authorities confirmed that 197 people were identified and taken to police stations, with 43 reported to judicial authorities. Across the various locations, 28 individuals were placed under arrest.
In Milan, where 17 people were arrested, groups of demonstrators hurled stones, bottles, firecrackers, and barriers at police lines. Officers responded by deploying tear gas and water cannons.
Shops throughout the Milan city center suffered damage and looting during the unrest. A Carabinieri vehicle was also completely destroyed in the northern city.
The retail association Confcommercio estimated that damage to shops and businesses in Milan exceeded 500,000 euros, equivalent to approximately 561,860 US dollars.
In Turin, police arrested one adult for resisting an officer and detained three minors who were allegedly carrying Molotov cocktails. A separate group entered the Feltrinelli bookstore at Porta Nuova station and threw books onto the floor.
Bologna saw five minors arrested following clashes near the railway station. Demonstrators threw bottles, stones, and barriers, prompting officers to use tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed solidarity with law enforcement personnel and called on opposition parties to unequivocally condemn the violence. At the same time, she acknowledged that thousands of citizens had demonstrated peacefully.
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini announced that his League party would resubmit a parliamentary proposal. The measure would require organizers of demonstrations deemed risky to provide financial guarantees to cover potential damage.
Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala stated that the economic grievances of the protesters were understandable, but added that violence against officers and extensive urban damage were unjustifiable.
Bologna Mayor Matteo Lepore echoed these condemnations of the unrest. He urged young people to distance themselves from individuals using public demonstrations as a pretext for violence.
