Italy is deploying 500 soldiers to Milan and planning tougher security measures after demonstrations against the high cost of living descended into clashes, vandalism and looting. The government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni vowed a firm response from the state following the unrest.
Police in Milan detained 271 young people after hooded youths set bins ablaze, ransacked shops and smashed windows around the city’s Duomo during the weekend. Officers used tear gas and water cannon to disperse violent groups operating on the fringes of an initially peaceful protest. Police said on Monday that 32 people had been arrested, including 23 minors and 13 foreign nationals, while another 28 individuals were reported to judicial authorities.
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated that the government will respond firmly to these attacks on the state, including through measures aimed at curbing violence by minors. Tajani spoke after Meloni chaired a meeting with top security officials on Monday. Italian media reported on Tuesday that the administration is preparing to swiftly approve stricter security rules, such as extending preventive detention for minors, cracking down on youth gangs and banning gatherings for individuals deemed a threat to public order.
The Italian press agency Ansa reported that security measures under consideration are specifically aimed at second generation immigrant youths, known as maranza, a slang term for gangs from marginalised areas. Meloni’s coalition is also reportedly planning stricter penalties for road blockades following separate protests by lorry drivers in southern Italy over fuel prices.
Opposition politicians accused the government of using security as a propaganda tool. Critics argued that the country’s leaders fail to address core issues such as education, housing and living conditions in marginalised areas. Protesters involved in the demonstrations expressed anger over their economic outlook, stating that the government denied them a future and that they were claiming it themselves.
In Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele and surrounding fashion districts, luxury brands including Chanel, Tiffany and Dior removed merchandise from their windows as a precaution. Other ransacked stores included sports retailers Decathlon and Arc’teryx along with mobile phone operator Vodafone. More demonstrations are planned for Saturday.
Unrest also affected other northern Italian cities at the weekend, including Bologna, Brescia, Bergamo and Turin, where police reported 28 arrests.
In France, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced on Tuesday that military forces would be deployed during planned protests, mostly to free police and gendarmes in their mission to maintain order. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu told parliament that the police presence during upcoming demonstrations would be massive to secure an immediate return to order following violent riots.
French authorities announced partial curfews in several cities, including Paris, Bordeaux, Lille and Nice. Paris police renewed a curfew from late Tuesday night until Wednesday morning covering the Place de la République and the central les Halles shopping district. Police also ordered temporary bans on petrol cans, bottles, masks and helmets in certain areas, as a man was arrested in connection with the burning down of a historic town hall in Limoges.
