Italy: Renewed riots in Milan – around 200 arrests
Quick Look
- Violent clashes broke out between black-clad rioters and police in Milan on Sunday for the second day in a row.
- Protesters threw bottles, looted stores and set vehicles on fire.
- Police used tear gas and water cannons and arrested over 200 people, many of them minors.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The riots began on Saturday as part of demonstrations against high living costs in Milan and spread to other Italian cities and Paris. The violence included bottle throwing, looting and arson of vehicles.
Violent clashes between demonstrators and police broke out in Milan on Sunday for the second day in a row. Bottles were thrown at the emergency services and police cars from the ranks of mostly black-clad rioters around the central cathedral square in the northern Italian metropolis. Shops were also looted and vehicles were set on fire.
Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the groups in the square. Mayor Giuseppe Sala reported “broken shop windows, looted shops and frightened residents.” According to the Ansa news agency, the police arrested a total of more than 200 people during the riots in Milan on Saturday and Sunday. A large proportion of them were still minors.
The riots began on Saturday on the sidelines of a demonstration against the high cost of living - some observers drew comparisons to the outbreaks of violence in France during similar protests. There were also riots on the sidelines of demonstrations in the Italian cities of Bologna and Turin on Saturday.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called a meeting with the security forces for Monday. She spoke of "violent perpetrators taking advantage of demonstrations to spread chaos, attack those who provide security and take entire cities hostage." Demonstrating is a guaranteed right, she wrote on X on Saturday. "Devastating our cities is not one."
The situation in France remains tense
The parallels to developments in France are indeed unmistakable. There were also serious riots in Paris at the weekend. The police temporarily lost control of parts of the city center on Sunday night. Around the Champs-Élysées, rioters attacked luxury boutiques, around the Place de la République, cars were torched and sports shops were cleared out.
According to police sources, special units were mobilized in Paris for the second day in a row on Sunday and were deployed at Republic Square. According to the television images, they used tear gas again.
A few months before President Macron leaves office, the orgy of violence by young rioters is shaking the country. Politically, one woman is likely to benefit from this: the right-wing radical presidential favorite Marine Le Pen. Read more here.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The Italian government will announce concrete measures to combat violence during demonstrations after the security conference.
Likely · Within days
In France, the right-wing presidential candidate Marine Le Pen could benefit from the unrest and make gains in the polls.
Possible · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What specific demands are the demonstrators making other than criticism of the high cost of living?
- Will the arrested minors be prosecuted?
- What measures is the Italian government planning other than the security conference?
- How will the situation in France continue to escalate after the riots?
