Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called a security meeting for Monday following two days of violent clashes between protesters and police in Milan. The unrest erupted after an initially peaceful demonstration of more than 5,000 people, many of them students, who were protesting rising living costs and ongoing conflicts.
On Saturday evening, the protests descended into violence in Milan’s central Piazza del Duomo, with rioters—many masked—throwing paving stones, bins, and chairs at law enforcement officers. Some looted stores, including a Foot Locker outlet, where a window was smashed to steal merchandise. Police responded with water cannons and tear gas, eventually charging into the nearby Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade to disperse groups of rioters. Images from the scene showed burning barricades, overturned rubbish bins, and a damaged Carabinieri vehicle.
Authorities reported 104 police officers wounded during the disturbances in Milan, while 13 civilians received medical treatment. A total of 72 suspects were detained, many of whom were minors, and 16 arrests were made. The Interior Ministry stated that across Italy, 197 individuals linked to the unrest had been identified or taken into custody.
Meloni condemned the violence on social media, describing the attackers as “criminals” and “organized groups” exploiting demonstrations to incite chaos. She expressed solidarity with law enforcement, praising their efforts to protect citizens, workers, and businesses. Transport Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini echoed her condemnation, calling the situation “urban warfare” and labeling the rioters “cowards and criminals.”
Violence related to protests also spread to other Italian cities. In Turin, demonstrators threw rocks and eggs at police, while in Rome, protesters used firecrackers and small homemade explosives targeting security forces and the education ministry’s headquarters. In Milan, tensions persisted on Sunday with reports of youths overturning bins, bicycles, scooters, and outdoor tables along major shopping streets. One Decathlon store in the city center was evacuated as a precaution.
Similar student protests took place across Europe over the weekend. In Albania, demonstrations in Tirana entered their sixth consecutive day, with Prime Minister Edi Rama refusing to step down, contrary to protesters’ demands. Thousands have gathered in the capital to protest poor university conditions, high tuition fees, and corruption. Meanwhile, in Brussels, police clashed with hundreds of students protesting education costs, and tens of thousands marched in Lisbon against rising living expenses and a housing shortage.