18.10.2026 14:20
After the protests in France and Belgium, incidents also broke out in Italy during protests against the cost of living and the Meloni government. In Milan, protesters set barricades on fire and clashed with police, while tensions also rose in Bologna and Turin. As tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Rome, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reacted to the violence with the words: "Protesting is a right. Turning our cities into a battlefield is not a right."
The violence in Italy has been added to the protests held in various European countries. After the demonstrations in France and Belgium, reactions in Italy to the high cost of living and the government led by Giorgia Meloni spilled onto the streets. In Milan, after protesters set fire to barricades they had set up and clashed with police, the city center turned almost into a battlefield, while incidents also broke out in Bologna and Turin. Prime Minister Meloni said that demonstrating is a democratic right but that turning cities into battlefields is unacceptable.
BARRICADES SET ON FIRE IN MILAN
Protests in Italy against rising living costs and government policies turned into violence in some cities. In Milan, where the harshest incidents occurred, demonstrators, mostly young people, gathered in Piazza Duomo, one of the city's landmark spots.
Tension between demonstrators and security forces quickly turned into clashes. Some protesters threw stones, smoke bombs, fireworks and garbage bins at police, while security forces intervened in the crowd with water cannons and tear gas.
When the barricades set up in Piazza Duomo were set on fire, flames rose from the city center. Scuffles also occurred between police and protesters around San Babila Square and Via Vittorio Emanuele.
INCIDENTS ALSO BROKE OUT IN BOLOGNA AND TURIN
The protests were not limited to Milan. In Bologna, students gathered in front of the Central Railway Station and security forces faced off with them.
It was reported that during the demonstrations some protesters threw stones, metal pieces and explosive firecrackers at police, while security forces used water cannons and tear gas. Due to the incidents, the train station was closed as a precaution.
Tension also rose in protests against the high cost of living in Turin. While scuffles occurred from time to time between protesters and police, according to a statement by Prime Minister Meloni, some people carrying paving stones and glass-breaking hammers were detained.
TENS OF THOUSANDS TOOK TO THE STREETS IN ROME
In the capital Rome, a large-scale march was held under the leadership of the Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL), one of the country's largest trade unions.
Tens of thousands of people protesting the high cost of living and the government's economic policies took to the streets to voice their demands. Unlike the incidents in Milan, Bologna and Turin, the march in Rome was completed without incident.
The union decided to hold a national strike on November 20 in order to continue its reactions against the government.
HARSH REACTION FROM MELONI: TURNING CITIES INTO A BATTLEFIELD IS NOT A RIGHT
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made a statement on her social media account after the incidents in various cities of the country. Emphasizing that she respects peaceful demonstrations, Meloni reacted to security forces being targeted during the protests.
Meloni used the following statements in her explanation: "Whatever ideas people demonstrate to defend, participation forms the foundation of every healthy democracy. However, on the other hand, we cannot ignore what happened in other cities in Italy. In Milan, as can be seen in these images, stones were thrown at security forces, police officers were injured, and incidents of damage and violence occurred. In Turin, people carrying paving stones and glass-breaking hammers were detained. In Bologna, the train station was closed as a precaution due to the incidents. Demonstrating is a right. Turning our cities into a battlefield is not a right."
CALL FOR THE OPPOSITION TO CONDEMN VIOLENCE
In her statement, Prime Minister Meloni also called on opposition parties and asked them to explicitly condemn the violence that occurred during the demonstrations. At a time when protests were also taking place in France and Belgium, the incidents in various cities in Italy once again brought the growing social tension across Europe onto the agenda. However, the demands and reasons for the protests in the countries differ.