More than 50 people were detained, about half of them minors, and at least 24 were injured in Milan during protests against the rising cost of living, fuel prices and the tax burden.
Groups of hooded youths threw firecrackers, bottles and barriers at police, forcing officers to retreat until reinforcements arrived. The clashes spread as far as Piazza Duomo, leaving barricades and damage in their wake.
According to police, the youths arrived in small groups from the outskirts of Milan, the wider metropolitan area and other provinces, ultimately overwhelming the demonstration organized by Italia in Piazza.
Tensions also flared in Turin, where organizers tried to persuade some participants to remove their hoods and put away their flags. One of the event’s promoters, Marco Liccione, said he was surrounded and beaten by around fifteen people.
In Bologna, near the train station, a group broke away from the march and threw stones, bottles and smoke bombs at police, who responded with water cannon and tear gas. Clashes were also reported in Bergamo.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called on opposition parties to condemn the violence without equivocation, warning that “any reluctance becomes a justification.”
Milan’s mayor, Giuseppe Sala, said the reasons behind the protest were understandable, but described the violence against police and the damage inflicted on the city as unjustifiable.
