Lucrezia Ciotti The demonstration against rising living and fuel costs has turned violent in several Italian cities. In Milan , where approximately 5.000 protesters gathered, the march degenerated into clashes with police, stone and firecracker throwing, shop windows being damaged, and street furniture being destroyed. According to initial estimates, the damage to businesses and other establishments in the Lombardy capital amounts to hundreds of thousands of euros.
Sala and Piantedosi clash over public order.
The incidents have also sparked a debate among institutions on security management . Milan's mayor, Giuseppe Sala , observed: " Too few officers, we underestimated the situation , " drawing attention to the resources available to deal with demonstrations of this type.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi responded by criticizing his statements and claiming that the mayor was placing the blame on the police, calling his attitude " the usual natural and instinctive reflex of a certain radical chic left . " Sala responded by recalling his own experience: " I've been working for 45 years, I'd like a little decency . "
The Democratic Party condemned the violence, calling for those responsible for the clashes not to be confused with those who peacefully participated in the demonstration. Secretary Elly Schlein , speaking at the party's national assembly in Rome, declared: " We have nothing to do with the criminals , " reiterating that those responsible for the damage have always been convicted. She added: " We cannot use violent people to drown out the voices of thousands of people who are peacefully protesting because they can no longer live . "
Schlein also emphasized that those who take to the streets to denounce economic hardship must be listened to, not criminalized: " In concrete terms, the lives of Italians who are in the streets today are poorer and more angry than yesterday, and they must be listened to. Not criminalized . " This position aims to distinguish social protest from episodes of violence, while investigations continue to identify individual responsibilities and reconstruct the dynamics of the clashes.
Clashes erupt during a protest against high living costs in Milan, with arrests and charges filed.
The demonstration, promoted by the Italia in Piazza committee , began in the heart of Milan , with a rally in Piazza Duomo attended primarily by young people, including very young ones. Participants sang the Italian national anthem and chanted slogans against the government of Giorgia Meloni and Matteo Salvini . Palestinian flags also appeared among the Italian flags, while banners called for more resources to be allocated to families rather than wars.
The situation escalated during the afternoon, when some of the protesters began to destroy the city center. Overturned trash bins, tables and chairs used as blunt objects, barriers displaced, windows smashed, and stones thrown at officers turned the demonstration into a series of clashes. Several ATM shelters and the windows of historic buildings were also damaged.
According to the reconstruction, as reported by Rai News , some participants showed up with smoke bombs, firecrackers, and gloves, while others were apparently involved after the initial scuffles and the spread of appeals on social media. The result was an escalation that required police intervention at multiple points in the city center. In Milan, 72 people were taken to the police headquarters : following the investigations , 17 individuals were arrested —seven Italians, five foreigners, and five minors—while 22 youths were charged . The local toll reported by the authorities indicates 104 injured law enforcement officers . Economic estimates of the damage vary depending on the source: an initial estimate exceeds half a million euros, while Unimpresa has indicated a figure of approximately 860 euros for Milan.