Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
TURIN / MILAN – A weekend of intense social mobilisation swept through the main cities of northern Italy, bringing thousands of students, workers, housing committees and civic networks into the streets. A united protest against the loss of purchasing power, soaring energy costs and increased defence spending. However, Saturday’s demonstrations were overshadowed by the fierce political controversy sparked by the serious unrest in Trieste on Friday evening.
Turin leads the dissent: energy bills burned and call for a territorial network
In Turin, the rallying call from the Torino in Piazza movement (part of the Italia in Piazza network) began in Piazza Castello with thousands of participants. A tractor from the Italian Autonomous Farmers led the march along Via Po and Piazza Vittorio Veneto, behind a banner reading “No to the cost of living, we want dignity. Get the money out”.
The aim of the mobilisation was outlined by Simone, a teacher and network spokesperson:
“We are not a movement; we want to be a network of all the small voices across Italy. In various local areas, small groups have decided to split and are not coordinated. We want to unite these local realities to do grassroots politics and defeat an economic system that is leading to collapse.”
Along the route, which ended in Corso San Maurizio with the symbolic burning of photocopies of energy bills, protesters chanted against Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her government, demanding their resignation over rising costs for families.
The other northern protests: from Milan to Genoa
The protest spread across several cities with specific demands:
- Bologna: The march, agreed with Police Headquarters after calls for non-violence from Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, focused on wages, the right to education and the housing crisis for students.
- Genoa: A demonstration from the historic centre to Piazza Principe, led by student collectives and port workers, protested against the war economy and rising transport costs.
- Cremona: Over 30 associations marched under the dialect slogan “Adèss Baasta”, calling for resources to be allocated to local healthcare and wages instead of military spending.
- Milan: The housing movement took centre stage with the “Tax the Rich Party”, a protest demanding an emergency levy on large fortunes to fund public housing and local services.
The Trieste case: institutional clash after police injuries
The protest atmosphere was heavily overshadowed by the controversy surrounding the previous evening’s incidents in Trieste, which began on the sidelines of a vigil for two people killed in a warehouse fire at Porto Vecchio. The demonstration turned into an open clash with police between Piazza Libertà and Via Flavio Gioia, marked by stone-throwing and the explosion of a paper bomb that hit the deputy police chief in the head.
With three officers injured and one person in detention, police unions (Coisp, Siap, Fsp) reacted furiously, demanding immediate legislative action. Full solidarity with the police was expressed by Massimiliano Fedriga, president of Friuli Venezia Giulia, and the national government, which announced new protections in the budget law while criticising the opposition’s stance. However, local collectives rejected the accusations, denouncing the repressive police action and the severe social marginalisation behind the Porto Vecchio tragedy.
