Italian Police Use Water Cannon on Protester Amid Riots
Demonstrations spread across Italy, mirroring unrest in neighboring France, leading to clashes and arrests.
Italian police deployed a water cannon on a young woman participating in far-left protests in Bologna, an incident captured on video as demonstrations spread across the country over the weekend. The footage shows the protester being knocked to the ground by a high-pressure water blast.
The protests, which also occurred in cities like Milan, were fueled by public anger over inflation, rising housing costs, and stagnant wages. In Milan's Piazza Duomo, police used tear gas and water cannons against hundreds of protesters who smashed store windows and set trash cans ablaze.
Authorities reported detaining 271 young people in Milan on Sunday, including 23 minors and 13 foreign nationals. Another 28 individuals were referred to judicial authorities. These clashes followed similar incidents on Saturday in northern Italian cities such as Milan, Bologna, Brescia, Bergamo, and Turin, where 28 protesters were arrested.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence, urging opposition leaders to unequivocally denounce acts of violence and property damage. "Demonstrating is a right. Setting our cities ablaze is not," Meloni stated. The unrest represents a significant challenge for Meloni's government as it approaches an election next year.