Italy: Milan stays calm under military guard – scuffles in Rome and Turin

A week after riots and looting in northern Italy, the latest day of protests in Milan passed off peacefully. At its peak, around 10,000 mostly young people marched through the city for almost four hours to the Polytechnic University, according to Al Jazeera. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had sent an additional 500 soldiers to the city, and a total of around 5,000 police and other security personnel were deployed. Luxury shops in the fashion district had boarded up their windows; most reopened in the afternoon.

Protests against the government and the high cost of living took place in eight Italian cities. There were clashes with police in Turin and Rome, the ANSA news agency reported; in Rome, a small group tried to force its way into the Colosseum and was pushed back by security staff. Police reported nine arrests and 371 people briefly detained nationwide, and several minors were held as a precaution in Milan.

On Saturday morning, police carried out around 150 searches in Lombardy in connection with the previous weekend’s riots, following raids in several cities on Friday. Of the 45 people arrested at the time, 34 were minors, according to AP. Justice Minister Carlo Nordio said Italy must “expand the capacity of our juvenile detention facilities.” Similar protests also took place on Saturday in Madrid, Lisbon and Tirana.