Italy Deploys Army Troops to Milan Amid Luxury District Clashes and Youth-Led Unrest

Italy’s government announced plans to deploy 500 army troops to Milan following two days of civil unrest involving clashes between protesters and police, looting, and property damage, according to Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini.

The troop deployment is expected to be part of a broader security package to be approved during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, as shop owners in Milan’s central business district closed early and boarded up storefronts in anticipation of further violence.

Speaking on social media, Salvini, leader of the right-wing League party, stated: “From words to action: 500 more troops to defend Milan.”

Many high-end retailers along Via Montenapoleone, home to luxury brands such as Chanel, Tiffany & Co., and Dior, removed merchandise from display windows as a precautionary measure. Police maintained a visible presence on the streets, while a small number of tourists observed the scene.

Roughly several hundred masked protesters, primarily believed to be minors, lit trash cans on fire and ransacked stores across the city center over the weekend. The demonstrations initially began peacefully on Saturday, protesting deteriorating public services and rising living costs.

Television footage revealed damage to several major retail outlets, including sports retailers Decathlon and Arc’teryx, along with mobile phone provider Vodafone. Brands like Levi Strauss, Under Armour, and Decathlon responded by covering their storefront windows with cardboard and plywood barriers.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is facing re-election next year, publicly denounced the violence and convened an emergency meeting with cabinet ministers and top security officials on Monday to assess the ongoing crisis.

In a statement posted online, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani emphasized: “The government will respond firmly to these attacks on the state, including through measures aimed at curbing violence involving minors.”

As part of the government’s response strategy, Corriere della Sera reported that Prime Minister Meloni is considering legislative changes that would allow extended preventive detention for juvenile suspects and introduce stricter controls on youth-led gang activity. These proposals may also accelerate elements of an existing security bill currently under review by Parliament.

According to official figures released by Italian police, 271 individuals were detained during Sunday’s wave of protests in Milan. Of those apprehended, authorities confirmed that 32 people were formally arrested—including 23 minors and 13 foreign nationals. An additional 28 suspects have been referred to judicial authorities for prosecution.

The recent disturbances are part of a wider pattern of unrest spreading across northern Italy. Protests in cities such as Bologna, Brescia, Bergamo, and Turin resulted in the arrest of 28 demonstrators over the weekend, according to a police report issued on Sunday.

The wave of domestic unrest mirrors similar mass demonstrations in neighboring France, where hundreds of thousands of citizens voiced their frustration over increasing living expenses and shrinking access to public services in some of the country’s most violent street protests in recent memory.

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