Demonstrations and protests in Italy, from Milan to Rome: photos of today's marches

New day of marches and demonstrations throughout Italy, from Milan to Rome. On the occasion of the general strike called by the grassroots union USB, starting this morning thousands of people took to the streets in the main Italian cities, mainly against the high cost of living, but also against wars. The protests bring together different souls, starting with the students, very present in all the squares.

“Stop high prices, no to war, no to rearmament, we produce wealth, you thieves of the future”, is the USB banner behind which the Turin procession started: thousands of people marched from the Palazzo di Città towards Turin North. Many students were present. According to the organizers, more than 50 thousand people will participate.

A section of thousands of demonstrators soon broke away from the main strike procession in Turin to march independently along Via Cernaia, with students from university collectives and high schools, together with the self-employed workers from the Askatasuna social centre.

"We don't allow ourselves to be confined to the suburbs, we are Turin and we take it", said the participants in the procession parallel to the main one into the microphone. Among the banners: "Every pole will be a barricade. We don't pay for the war" and "Against war and high prices of living, let's block Italy".

Two manure bins were overturned in front of the Turin town hall before the demonstration started. "They have tried in every way to block this strike - said the speaker at the head of the march - but today this square, together with dozens of others in Italy, sends the attempts to repress us back to the sender. And to the future of m... that they want to give us, we respond with other m...".

In Milan, around five thousand students left Piazzale Leonardo da Vinci, shouting "Let's take back the future".

The theme of war is very heartfelt. "They want to put helmets on you and send you to fight," the Milanese organizers said from the microphone. "Here we are all brothers and sisters, there are no foreigners in a country where they are all equal. Racism is a system and must be fought, by all means", they added, saying that "they call us generation Z, we are the Gaza generation, which has decided to be on the right side of history. Yesterday's anti-fascism against today's fascism".

Another procession in Milan, that of Usb, started from Piazza Duca d'Aosta, in front of the Central Station, with around 7 thousand demonstrators. Then he joined that of the students. The announced objective is to reach the eastern ring road.

"We produce wealth, you thieves of the future", is the main slogan chosen for the opening of the USB procession in Rome. Here too there are many anti-war banners. The procession stopped in front of the Ministry of Transport to protest against the deputy prime minister and minister Matteo Salvini.

At the head of the demonstration were two tractors (followed by taxis). Many professional categories participate in the event, from operators to truck drivers, up to farmers. "We ask for the lowering of fuel prices, the regulation of basic necessities and a stop to the increase in energy prices - explains a representative of the USB national executive - and the end of financing for war industries".

Even in the capital there is no shortage of students, including university students, who gathered at Sapienza for a pre-concentration before reaching Piazza dei Cinquecento in procession, near Termini station. Some teachers were also with them. The students of Osa and Cambiare Rotta instead joined the procession after an initial meeting in Piramide.

In Genoa the day of demonstration began with the blockade of the Albertazzi port gate carried out with large tires and smoke bombs. We protest against arms trafficking, against the war economy and the high cost of living.