Meloni decries violent demonstrations as Italian police clash with protesters in Milan, Bologna
The clashes echoed the violence in neighboring France, where tens of thousands of people took to the streets on Saturday in some of the country's most violent protests in years.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned violent demonstrations on Saturday as police clashed with protesters in Milan and Bologna. Tear gas was fired by Italian police after protesters in Milan's square in front of the Gothic cathedral attacked them with stones, according to Italian media. In Bologna, police used a water cannon to disperse crowds, arresting seven people following violent protests over the cost of living.
Meloni, facing an election next year, emphasized that while demonstrating is a right, turning cities into battlegrounds is not an acceptable solution.
Meloni showed respect for the thousands of peaceful protesters who took part in the demonstration, including those from the CGIL trade union movement. However, she could not ignore the violence that erupted in other Italian squares. In Milan, as shown in the images, protesters threw stones at the police, causing injuries, damage, and forced the cancellation of the protest procession.
In Turin, demonstrators were stopped using pepper spray and metal batons, and in Bologna, the unrest led to the precautionary closure of the train station. Riot police attempted to clear hooded protesters from the luxury shopping arcade, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, in Milan, while shops closed their doors and tourists fled the central area.
The clashes in Milan echoed the violence seen in neighboring France, where tens of thousands of people protested against rising costs and declining public services, some of the most violent demonstrations in years.
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