Rioters Clash With Police, Loot Stores in Milan Protest
Demonstrations against war and rising costs turn violent, with masked individuals targeting police and businesses.
Rioters clashed with police, looted stores and set property on fire in Milan's Piazza del Duomo on Saturday, disrupting a protest initially organized against wars and rising living costs.
What began as a peaceful march escalated when masked individuals threw stones, paving blocks and other objects at riot police. Barricades made from bar tables were set ablaze, and images from the scene showed a severely damaged police car. Police responded with water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowds.
According to the LaPresse news agency, at least two police officers were injured, and approximately 50 demonstrators, including many minors, were detained.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence on social media, stating, "Demonstrating is a right. Setting our cities ablaze is not." She characterized the perpetrators as "hooligans who exploit demonstrations to sow chaos, attack those responsible for ensuring security and hold entire cities hostage."
Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala acknowledged the protesters' concerns, saying, "the reasons for the protests were understandable." However, he added that "the violence against law enforcement and serious damage to the city are not justifiable."
The unrest in Milan occurred concurrently with nationwide demonstrations in neighboring France, where protests against rising living costs and in support of student grievances also saw violent clashes, with French police deploying tear gas and water cannons.