Lucrezia Ciotti The general strike brought hundreds of thousands of people to the streets across Italy, but the mobilization against high living costs, war, and rearmament was also accompanied by moments of intense tension. With clashes with law enforcement, injured officers, complaints, and searches , police headquarters took stock of a day of protests that spanned numerous cities, from Rome to Turin to Bologna.
A general strike across Italy, with over 255 people taking to the streets, sparking complaints, injuries, and tensions.
The day of national mobilization against high living costs, war, and rearmament involved dozens of Italian cities, recording widespread participation but also several moments of tension . As reported by Corriere della Sera , according to Pietro Bernocchi, spokesman for the Cobas Confederation, approximately one million people took to the streets in 70 cities, with 100 in Rome alone.
A different estimate came from law enforcement officials, who put the total number of participants at over 255. " A huge turnout of students and workers ," the organizers commented, at the end of a day marked by clashes with law enforcement, especially in the capital, Turin, Mestre, and Vicenza.
In Rome, several episodes of tension occurred , both in the early afternoon and in the evening, between the Colosseum, the Lungotevere and Testaccio.
Some groups attempted to break through the security cordons to reach Montecitorio and other government buildings. Police responded with charges, tear gas, and water cannons , while during the clashes, rocks, road signs, and firecrackers were reportedly thrown. In some areas, barricades made from dumpsters were also set alight using balloons filled with gasoline.
A flurry of searches following demonstrations and protests: "Dozens reported and identified."
In Turin, twelve people were charged with various crimes , including failure to comply with official orders, disguise, resisting arrest, and assaulting a public official. The police announced that, as part of public order operations, 256 people were identified and eleven were taken to their offices for further investigation. The morning demonstration reportedly involved approximately 30 participants. According to police reconstruction, a student contingent of approximately 4 people, departing from Palazzo Nuovo, reached Piazza Palazzo di Città, where they were later joined by approximately 400 individuals linked to Askatasuna from the Luigi Einaudi Campus.
The march , with approximately 3 participants, crossed the city center to Piazza Castello and the Prefecture. During this phase, police officers were reportedly targeted with "eggs containing red paint, bolts, and glass bottles ." Further moments of tension occurred around 18 p.m., when approximately 3 protesters gathered unannounced in Piazza Castello. After crossing several streets in the center, some of the activists attempted to reach Via Roma, throwing objects at law enforcement.
Bologna also saw significant participation, with over 20 people, according to police headquarters. Approximately 300 protesters were identified and detained in accordance with recently introduced regulations. Investigative efforts also involved Florence and its province, where the DIGOS (Special Operations Unit) conducted searches on the bodies of three adult Italian citizens . These operations were part of a nationwide operation involving 23 cities and resulting in a total of 60 searches, carried out by the DIGOS (Special Operations Unit) and the postal police.