Italian Police Detain Hundreds Amid Violent Protests Over Costs
Demonstrations escalate with looting and clashes, drawing condemnation from the Prime Minister.
Italian police detained 271 young people in Milan on Sunday following two days of protests marked by clashes with authorities, looting of businesses, and vandalism. The unrest, fueled by grievances over poor public services and rising costs, saw hundreds of hooded demonstrators set trash bins ablaze and raid stores, including sporting goods retailers Decathlon and Arc’teryx, and the Vodafone phone shop in the city center.
Authorities reported that 32 individuals were arrested, among them 23 minors and 13 foreign nationals. An additional 28 people were referred to judicial authorities. The events in Milan followed similar disturbances in northern cities such as Bologna, Brescia, Bergamo, and Turin on Saturday, where 28 protesters were arrested, according to a police report.
These disturbances echoed recent unrest in neighboring France, where hundreds of thousands protested against the rising cost of living and declining public services in some of the country's most violent demonstrations in years.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence and announced a government meeting to address the situation. The protests occurred just as the nation faces upcoming elections.
