MILAN — Thousands of young people marched Saturday through the streets of several Italian cities, including Milan, Rome and Turin, as authorities deployed large numbers of police and soldiers in a largely successful bid to stave off a repeat of the violent clashes and looting that marred similar protests last week. The demonstration in Milan remained peaceful, but there were brief clashes with police in both Rome and Turin. In Milan, thousands of young people marched the streets as soldiers were deployed and luxury boutiques were boarded up, but by late afternoon, most shops had opened, Italian media reported.
Premier Giorgia Meloni announced a raft of measures, including sending an additional 500 soldiers to Milan and tougher penalties for minors, who police said made up a large part of the violent protesters last week. In Milan, police detained several minors as a preventive measure, media reported. While protests in France have claimed most international attention, large demonstrations also rocked many European cities Saturday from Milan to Rome to Madrid, Lisbon and Tirana.
The protests encompass a broad range of issues from education and corruption to anti-war movements, pensions and housing. In Milan, huge crowds of mostly young people gathered as night fell, chanting insults to Meloni and holding aloft banners such as "No to lies of the state." A group of protesters dumped manure outside Italy's energy regulator and burned a symbolic, oversized electricity bill, images broadcast on local television showed. The 500 soldiers deployed to Milan came in addition to hundreds already stationed there, supporting about 5,000 police and other security personnel.
Authorities used drone surveillance, checks at railway stations, rapid-response units and online monitoring for potential calls to violence. A mayoral hopeful, Pierfrancesco Majorino, who announced his candidacy Thursday, joined the marchers and remarked how peaceful the day was, according to Italian media. He will contest a center-left primary in early 2027.
Milan's center-left Mayor Giuseppe Sala, who has held the role since 2016, is not running again. Many stores, particularly luxury boutiques within Milan's fashion district including Omega, Tiffany and Gucci, boarded up their front windows. The Apple store also shut down and remained shut even as others reopened.
Rioters last weekend smashed their way into stores, targeting sneakers, athletic wear and sporting goods on streets that run off the city's central Duomo square. Security measures extended beyond the city center over concerns protesters could move into other neighborhoods. The protesters ended their march peacefully Saturday evening outside the Milan Polytechnic, more than 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the city center.
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