The Italian government has deployed hundreds of soldiers to the country’s financial hub in anticipation of unrest.
Milan, Italy – Demonstrations have been announced across eight Italian cities for Saturday, targeting the right‑wing government of Giorgia Meloni and the escalating cost of living. The rally follows a week after Milan’s protests escalated into police clashes and looting.
The protests were coordinated by a newly formed collective, the “October 17 Movement,” which has emerged as the principal organiser alongside student federations, grassroots trade unions, and anti‑war coalitions.
In an Instagram post the group declared, “Those who deny our future are truly violent. We distrust this government because we see it as authoritarian.”
In response to the looting that marred the previous weekend, the government announced a series of new security measures, including the deployment of 500 soldiers to the country’s financial hub.
On Friday, police executed raids and searches across multiple cities targeting individuals suspected of involvement in the looting and rioting of the previous weekend, according to the Italian news agency Adnkronos. An additional 150 raids were conducted Saturday morning in the northern Lombardy region.
However, the October 17 Movement said on its Telegram channel that many participants intended to protest peacefully.
“We must be peaceful. If we give the police an excuse, they will charge against us,” a protester identified as E stated on Thursday.
Others have emphasised that there is no distinction between violent and peaceful participants. “It’s just us,” said a member identified as Q.
Protesters chose to keep the demonstration site secret until the final moment, with three meeting points slated to be posted on social media Saturday afternoon.
Police have confirmed to Al Jazeera that they located and are interrogating the administrator of the group’s Instagram page. The individual, a 30‑year‑old Italian‑Moroccan freelance journalist and researcher, is being investigated on suspicion of “inciting crimes,” according to Corriere della Sera.
The majority of those arrested on Sunday were juveniles. Out of 271 arrests, 220 were under the age of 18.
Some participants joined after being unexpectedly added to a Telegram group, Corriere della Sera reported.
“They said that they would raise chaos and we could take a lot of goods,” one participant recalled.
Lawyer Michele D’Agostino is representing two demonstrators, aged 21 and 15.
“[The youngest] didn’t even know the reasons behind the protest; he had just seen it on TikTok and decided to check it out with a friend,” D’Agostino told Al Jazeera.
“He was not among the looters, but he did not realise the seriousness of what was happening,” he added.
The public prosecutor has blamed social media for misleading young people into engaging in what he described as “insurrectional acts.”
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Carlo Nordio told Sky TG24 that there was a need to “expand the capacity of our youth detention facilities” to accommodate the mass arrests of minors.
Earlier this week, truck drivers erected roadblocks across southern Italy to protest rising fuel prices, leaving many markets without supplies for days. On Thursday, the government responded by granting tax breaks and creating a special fund to aid farmers and fishermen.
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