Italy Tightens Security as Students and Unions Stage Nationwide Protests

Italy tightened security on October 30, 2026, as tens of thousands of students and union members took to the streets across the country, Al Jazeera reported.

Marches were held in dozens of cities, including Rome, Milan and Naples. Protesters objected to soaring living costs, called for more investment in education and urged an end to wars in the Middle East. Rallies also took place in Bologna and Genoa.

Security was stepped up around the Colosseum in Rome, and Milan's cathedral received special protection. In Turin, skirmishes broke out between protesters and riot police at the start of a march. AFP reported that young protesters called for more funding for housing and for cuts to defence spending.

The day also drew workers from other sectors. The USB union called a general strike, meaning a coordinated work stoppage, and it drew truck drivers, taxi drivers and farmers. Unions in Italy issued a joint call with counterparts in France, Greece, Spain, Türkiye and Morocco, demanding an end to the wars in the Middle East, including the war in Gaza, and an end to the militarisation of ports, meaning the use of ports for military purposes.

The protests come against a backdrop of rising costs. According to Al Jazeera, prices Italians pay for food, energy, transport and household bills have risen 68 percent since 2000, while average wages have fallen by almost 5 percent. The government has agreed on a 175 million euro ($195 million) aid package for truck drivers, farmers and fishermen hit by higher fuel prices linked to the war in the Middle East. Italy's draft 2027 budget includes an annual bonus of 2,500 euros for workers under 30.

Tensions had risen earlier this month. On the weekend of October 17 and 18, clashes between young people and police in Milan involved looting and smashed shop windows. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni then toughened laws on public gatherings and eased restrictions on the detention of minors, according to Al Jazeera.

Protests had already swept Italian cities on October 24 under a heavy security presence, and Reuters reported that some violence was reported. Italy has seen large union actions before. In October 2025, hundreds of thousands of people joined a day-long general strike called over the Gaza flotilla, and in November 2025 the country faced two competing national strikes as rivalry between unions returned.