Meloni backs police after cost-of-living protests turn violent in Italian cities
Anger over living costs and low wages has brought Italians onto the streets. A major union has called a general strike for November 20.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned rioting that erupted during recent cost-of-living protests, expressing solidarity with police forces after clashes in several Italian cities. The unrest broke out during demonstrations against high living costs and stagnant real wages on Saturday, leaving at least four police officers and 20 demonstrators injured in Milan.
The violence involved youths throwing fireworks and bottles at officers, erecting barricades, and using fireworks in central Piazza Duomo. Police initially withdrew and later deployed tear gas to disperse the crowd, arresting around 50 individuals, mostly minors. Similar clashes occurred in Turin, Bologna, and Bergamo, where police used water cannon and made four arrests, all of minors, with seven individuals reported to prosecutors.
Meloni emphasized that while demonstrating is a right, setting cities on fire is not. Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala also condemned the violence, acknowledging the legitimate grievances behind the protests, but emphasizing that the city's damage cannot be justified. Demonstrations continued in Rome, with thousands joining a strike organized by the Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL) and a general strike called for November 20.
The violence followed similar protests in France that turned violent, with over 1,800 arrests nationwide.
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