Italian police detain nearly 300 people as stores looted, vandalized in weekend Milan protests
Police in riot gear fired tear gas and water cannon as several hundred hooded protesters set bins ablaze and looted stores, including sports retailers Decathlon and Arc'teryx and phone store Vodafone.
Italian authorities detained nearly 300 individuals during weekend protests in Milan, where demonstrators clashed with police, rioted, and vandalized stores. The unrest spanned two days, sparked by complaints about subpar public services and increasing expenses. Police deployed tear gas and water cannons to disperse several hundred hooded protesters who set bins alight and stole merchandise from establishments like Decathlon, Arc teryx, and Vodafone.
Out of the 271 young people apprehended on Sunday, 32 were arrested, comprising 23 minors and 13 foreign nationals, while an additional 28 were reported to judicial authorities. Similar clashes erupted in northern Italian cities, such as Bologna, Brescia, Bergamo, and Turin, on Saturday, leading to the arrest of 28 protesters. This follows a wave of unrest in France, where hundreds of thousands of citizens protested against mounting living costs and deteriorating public services, marking one of the most turbulent demonstrations in recent years.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who must contend with an election next year, denounced the violence and vowed to convene a government meeting on Monday to address the issue.
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