In brief
The cost‑of‑living protests in Milan erupted into violence this weekend, drawing more than 5,000 demonstrators who threw stones and vandalised property. Police deployed tear gas and water cannons to quell attacks, with over 200 arrests, most of them minors. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence, demanding a unified condemnation from opposition parties. Mayor Giuseppe Sala warned that Milan’s unrest mirrors a growing pan‑European pattern of demonstrations turning chaotic. The episode has strained Italy’s political climate ahead of next year’s election.
In Milan, thousands of protesters demanding lower living costs clashed with police this weekend, forcing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to call an emergency security meeting. Police responded with tear gas and water cannons after demonstrators threw paving stones, bins and chairs at officers.
Meloni warned: "To demonstrate is a right. To lay our cities to waste is not," adding that "hooligans" had used the protests to sow chaos. The statement came as more than 200 people were arrested, 80 % of whom were minors, according to Ansa.
Milanese Mayor Giuseppe Sala described the violence as a "new phenomenon" linked to an international scenario. "I witnessed smashed shop windows, looted stores and frightened citizens," he said.
The unrest spread to other northern cities: in Turin, detainees were caught carrying cobblestones and window‑breaking hammers; a Bologna train station was closed as a precaution.
Meloni urged her political opponents to condemn the rioting unambiguously, warning that any hesitation could become justification. Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein stated the party had always condemned violence, arguing it should not silence peaceful protesters struggling to live.
The violent disorder echoes similar unrest in France, Spain and Albania, where protests over living costs have turned chaotic in several cities.
