Italian Soldiers Deployed in Milan as Protests Over Living Costs Continue
Hundreds of Italian soldiers were deployed in Milan on October 24, 2026, as thousands of people protested in the city. Al Jazeera reported that the crowd reached around 10,000 people at its peak, many of them young. The Italian news agency ANSA described tensions involving several thousand demonstrators, mostly university students, confronting law enforcement in Milan and other Italian cities.
The protests began over the high cost of living, which The New York Times said sparked demonstrations across Italy. In northern cities including Milan, the protests turned into riots over a weekend in mid-October. Milan police clashed with protesters who threw stones and looted shops, according to Reuters.
The violence left injuries on both sides. ANSA reported that at least four police officers and 20 demonstrators were hurt. The same report said more than 50 young people were detained, about half of them minors. The youngest person identified in connection with the clashes was 11 years old, ANSA later reported.
Milan police put the number of young people involved in the violence and looting at about 2,000. NBC News reported that 34 minors were among them.
On October 18, hundreds of young people gathered in small groups in Piazza Duomo, the square in front of Milan's cathedral. ANSA reported that 50 people were taken from the square to police headquarters.
Italy's government responded with a security deployment. The Associated Press reported that Italy approved sending 500 troops to Milan. ANSA reported that paratroopers from the Folgore Brigade, an airborne unit of the Italian army, were set to arrive in the city. Interior Minister Piantedosi, who oversees domestic security, said there was no evidence that the young protesters had been manipulated.
Ahead of the October 24 demonstrations, the U.S. Consulate General in Milan issued a Demonstration Alert on October 23. The consulate said local authorities advised people to avoid Piazza Duomo and the city's major commercial streets.
The unrest has also extended beyond Italy. The New York Times reported that young people in Spain and Portugal pitched tents in their countries' capitals to protest high rents.
