Italy, like France, saw protests across the country on Saturday, with several demonstrations turning violent. Some Italian politicians accused the far left of fueling the unrest, while Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the disorder online and expressed support for law enforcement.
“Once again, the women and men of the Law Enforcement Forces have had to face the violence of criminals who, even through organized groups, exploit demonstrations to seek confrontation and sow chaos,” Meloni wrote on X.
She continued: “They were there to protect the safety of citizens, workers, merchants and everyone who has the right to live in their city without fear — and without seeing it devastated and set ablaze by gangs of thugs. We stand with you.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends her annual press conference in Rome on Jan. 9, 2026. (Antonio Masiello/Getty Images)
Meloni’s Sunday morning statement followed clashes between protesters and police, with the most prominent scenes unfolding outside Milan’s historic cathedral in Piazza del Duomo.
The Associated Press, citing the LaPresse news agency, reported that 50 demonstrators — including minors — were detained and at least two police officers were injured. Police used water cannons to disperse the crowd. Rioters also looted shops and smashed windows inside Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, one of Italy’s best-known 19th-century arcades.
Meloni had condemned the unrest the previous evening, writing: “Thugs who exploit demonstrations to sow chaos, attack those who ensure security and hold entire cities hostage… Demonstrating is a right. Setting our cities ablaze is not.”
ITALY-POLITICS-PROTEST-SOCIAL-DEMO A demonstrator kicks back a tear gas canister during clashes with police at an anti-government protest organized by the Italia in Piazza movement, at Piazza Duomo in Milan, on October 17, 2026. Inspired by recent protests in France and Spain, demonstrators are protesting against the rising cost of living, low wages, high rents and public service shortcomings, demanding better living and working conditions. (Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Imges)
She also addressed her political opponents, saying: “I renew my request to the opposition: do not be ambiguous about this. Unequivocally condemn these acts of violence and issue a clear appeal for every mobilization to be peaceful.”
Il Sole 24 news site quoted Francesco Filini, a lawmaker from Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia party and its national program coordinator, as saying: “It is no longer tolerable that every time left-wing extremists take to the streets, scenes of organized destruction unfold. We are not dealing with mere demonstrators, but with organized groups that plan violence.”
The Saturday demonstrations were organized by the Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro, or CGIL, Italy’s oldest labor union. The organization has more than 5 million members and is often associated with left-leaning Italian political parties.
Protesters clash with police during a demonstration against the rising cost of living and in support of better living conditions, on October 17, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Stringer/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Meloni said she had “great respect for the thousands” of people who demonstrated peacefully, describing participation as “the foundation of any healthy democracy.” However, she added that events in other Italian cities could not be overlooked.
In Milan, she said, protesters threw stones at law enforcement officers, injuring police and causing damage and violence that forced the procession to stop. In Turin, authorities detained people carrying cobblestones and hammers used to break windows. In Bologna, unrest prompted the precautionary closure of the railway station.
“In the face of scenes like these, the rejection must be unanimous,” Meloni wrote. “Any hesitation becomes justification. Silence is not acceptable.”
Italian police clash with protesters in the center of Milan by the city’s historic cathedral on Oct. 17, 2026. (Reuters)
Milan’s center-left mayor, Giuseppe Sala, told the Associated Press that the protesters’ grievances were understandable, but said violence against law enforcement and serious damage to the city could not be justified.
Reuters, citing the police union, reported that about 56 officers were injured during protests in Bologna. Italy’s interior ministry said roughly 100 officers were hurt and approximately 30 people were arrested during the demonstration in Turin.