Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
MILAN / NATIONAL NEWS – They were meant to be protest marches against the cost of living, rising fuel prices and tax pressure, but they turned into full-blown scenes of urban guerrilla warfare. Several Italian squares, from Milan to Turin, and in Bologna and Bergamo, became the stage for extremely violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement, leaving behind extensive material damage, injuries and dozens of arrests.
Milan under siege: Piazza Duomo a battleground
The most serious toll was recorded in Milan, where hundreds of very young, hooded individuals stormed the city centre streets, going so far as to besiege Piazza Duomo. Amid dense barrages of stones, smoke bombs, firecrackers and police dispersal charges, the city awoke to shattered shop windows, devastated street furniture and numerous arrests.
Similar assaults and tensions marked the protests in:
- Turin and Bologna: Direct clashes with riot police units and stone-throwing at law enforcement.
- Bergamo: Diverted marches and coordinated vandalism in the city centre.
The Government’s response: Premier Meloni’s stern warning
The wave of violence prompted an immediate reaction from institutions and the Government. The Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, intervened firmly to condemn the unrest:
“Protesting is a right; setting our cities ablaze is not. I renew my call to the opposition: do not be ambiguous about this,” the premier stated, urging a unanimous and clear stance from the entire parliamentary spectrum against violent groups.
