Italy’s government is sending 500 soldiers to Milan as it vowed a “firm response from the state” after protests against the high cost of living descended into clashes with police, vandalism and looting, and ahead of further demonstrations planned on Saturday.
The government, led by the far-right prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, is also planning to swiftly approve tougher new security measures, including extending preventive detention for minors, cracking down on youth gangs and banning gatherings for people deemed a threat to public order, according to reports in the Italian press on Tuesday.
Police in Milan detained 271 young people after hooded youths set bins ablaze, ransacked shops and smashed windows, including in the area surrounding the city’s Duomo, during the unrest on Saturday and Sunday.
Police used teargas and water cannons to disperse the violent groups, who were on the fringes of an initially peaceful protest.
Of those detained, 32 have been arrested, including 23 minors and 13 foreign nationals, police said on Monday. A further 28 people were reported to judicial authorities. » | Angela Giuffrida in Rome | Tuesday, October 20, 2026
