Italy Sends 500 Soldiers to Milan as Youth Protests Resume in Eight Cities
A week after clashes left 271 people detained, including 220 minors, security forces have ramped up operations ahead of new demonstrations across the country.
By Fatima Davis ·
Five hundred soldiers have been deployed to Milan, Italy's financial center, as part of a new security package announced by the government. This reinforcement comes ahead of fresh protests scheduled for Saturday in eight cities, driven by rising costs and opposition to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing administration.
The demonstrations follow a week of intense conflict in which a Milan protest turned into clashes with police and widespread looting. In response, authorities conducted raids and searches in multiple cities on Friday to identify suspects. Adnkronos reported that officers carried out an additional 150 raids in the Lombardy region on Saturday morning.
The October 17 Movement, a recently formed coalition including student federations, grassroots unions, and antiwar groups, organized the new round of protests. The group stated on Instagram that it distrusted the government, which it viewed as authoritarian. Organizers kept the specific meeting locations secret until the last minute, planning to announce three points on social media on Saturday afternoon.
Police are currently questioning the administrator of the movement's Instagram page. Corriere della Sera identified him as a 30-year-old Italian-Moroccan freelance journalist and researcher. He faces an investigation on suspicion of inciting crimes. Participants in the movement have emphasized the need for peaceful conduct, with one member, identified as E, warning that violence would give police an excuse to charge the crowd.
The previous weekend's events resulted in the detention of 271 people, 220 of whom were under 18. Many of the minors were young, with lawyer Michele D'Agostino noting that one 15-year-old client had joined the protest after seeing it on TikTok without fully understanding the context. The public prosecutor attributed the incident to social media misleading youth into insurrectional acts.
Justice Minister Carlo Nordio told Sky TG24 that Italy needs to expand the capacity of its youth detention facilities to handle the number of minors arrested. Separately, truck drivers in southern Italy established roadblocks earlier this week to protest high fuel prices. The government responded on Thursday by granting tax breaks and creating a special fund for farmers and fishermen.
Source: Al Jazeera
