Italy to Deploy 500 Soldiers to Milan After Violent Cost-of-Living Protests

Italy's government says it will deploy 500 soldiers to Milan in what it described as a "firm response" after cost-of-living protests turned into clashes with police, vandalism and looting. The decision came after Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni chaired a meeting with top security officials on Monday. The Guardian

Police in Milan detained 271 young people after unrest on Saturday and Sunday. Hooded youths set bins ablaze, ransacked shops and smashed windows, including vandalism in the area around the city's Duomo cathedral. Police used teargas and water cannons to disperse violent groups who officers said were on the fringes of an initially peaceful protest.

Of those detained, 32 have been arrested, including 23 minors and 13 foreign nationals, police said on Monday. A further 28 people detained were reported to judicial authorities for possible legal action.

The unrest has emptied part of Milan's luxury shopping district. Brands including Chanel, Tiffany and Dior removed merchandise from their windows in Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele as a precaution. Many luxury stores in the fashion district stayed closed amid fears of further unrest. Stores that were ransacked included sports retailers Decathlon and Arc'teryx and mobile phone operator Vodafone.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the government will respond firmly, including through measures aimed at curbing violence by minors. The government is planning to swiftly approve tougher new security measures, including extending preventive detention for minors, the holding of suspects before a court decision, a crackdown on youth gangs, and banning gatherings for people deemed a threat to public order.

The protests have spread beyond Milan. There were tensions during cost-of-living demonstrations in Bologna, Brescia, Bergamo and Turin, where 28 protesters were arrested. A new movement called 17 October said it would demonstrate in Milan and other major Italian cities each Saturday afternoon until the government collapses.

The coalition is also reportedly planning tougher penalties for road blockades. That follows days of protests in southern Italy by lorry drivers over fuel prices.