Italy Sends 500 Troops to Milan as Eight Cities Prepare for Protests

Italy’s government has sent 500 troops to Milan ahead of planned demonstrations in eight cities. These protests are against Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government and the rising cost of living. The demonstrations come a week after a protest in Milan turned violent, leading to clashes with police and looting. The new round of protests was announced online by a recently formed group calling itself the October 17 Movement. This group, along with student federations, grassroots trade unions, and antiwar coalitions, has been a main driver of the demonstrations. The government has taken action after last weekend’s looting, announcing a series of new security measures. Police have conducted raids and searches in several cities, targeting people suspected of looting and rioting. Officers carried out another 150 raids on Saturday morning in the northern region of Lombardy. The October 17 Movement has said that many of those planning to take part want to express their dissent peacefully. However, the public prosecutor has blamed social media for misleading young people into what he described as “insurrectional acts.” Justice Minister Carlo Nordio told Sky TG24 that the country needed to “expand the capacity of our youth detention facilities” in response to the mass arrests of minors. Separately, truck drivers set up roadblocks in several regions of southern Italy earlier this week to protest soaring fuel prices, leaving many markets without supplies for days. On Thursday, the government sought to ease the pressure by granting tax breaks and creating a special fund for farmers and fishermen. The new round of protests was announced online by a recently formed group calling itself the October 17 Movement. This group, along with student federations, grassroots trade unions, and antiwar coalitions, has been a main driver of the demonstrations. The government has taken action after last weekend’s looting, announcing a series of new security measures. Police have conducted raids and searches in several cities, targeting people suspected of looting and rioting. Officers carried out another 150 raids on Saturday morning in the northern region of Lombardy. The October 17 Movement has said that many of those planning to take part want to express their dissent peacefully. However, the public prosecutor has blamed social media for misleading young people into what he described as “insurrectional acts.” Justice Minister Carlo Nordio told Sky TG24 that the country needed to “expand the capacity of our youth detention facilities” in response to the mass arrests of minors. Separately, truck drivers set up roadblocks in several regions of southern Italy earlier this week to protest soaring fuel prices, leaving many markets without supplies for days. On Thursday, the government sought to ease the pressure by granting tax breaks and creating a special fund for farmers and fishermen. The new round of protests was announced online by a recently formed group calling itself the October 17 Movement. This group, along with student federations, grassroots trade unions, and antiwar coalitions, has been a main driver of the demonstrations. The government has taken action after last weekend’s looting, announcing a series of new security measures. Police have conducted raids and searches in several cities, targeting people suspected of looting and rioting. Officers carried out another 150 raids on Saturday morning in the northern region of Lombardy. The October 17 Movement has said that many of those planning to take part want to express their dissent peacefully. However, the public prosecutor has blamed social media for misleading young people into what he described as “insurrectional acts.” Justice Minister Carlo Nordio told Sky TG24 that the country needed to “expand the capacity of our youth detention facilities” in response to the mass arrests of minors. Separately, truck drivers set up roadblocks in several regions of southern Italy earlier this week to protest soaring fuel prices, leaving many markets without supplies for days. On Thursday, the government sought to ease the pressure by granting tax breaks and creating a special fund for farmers and fishermen.

image_prompt

A photorealistic image of 500 Italian soldiers standing in formation in the streets of Milan, Italy, with a crowd of protesters gathered in the distance, holding signs and chanting, as smoke rises from the background. The lighting is dim and the mood is tense.

word_count

use_real_word_count

324

article_age

2026-10-24

source

Al Jazeera

original_headline

Italy Deploys Security Forces as Fresh Protests Planned in Eight Cities