Police in Milan and Bologna clashed with protesters Saturday during demonstrations against high living costs, with officers using tear gas, water cannons, and riot control equipment to disperse crowds.
In Milan, police fired tear gas after protesters threw stones and other objects in the square facing the Gothic cathedral. Riot police attempted to remove masked protesters from the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a luxury shopping arcade adjacent to the cathedral square, as some groups broke away from a larger protest against rising costs of living. Shops closed their doors, tourists fled the central area, and the Duomo metro station was shut during the confrontations. Italian media reported several people were injured, though exact numbers were not specified.
In Bologna, northern Italy, police used water cannons to disperse crowds after another protest turned violent. Authorities made at least seven arrests in the city, according to the Italian news agency ANSA.
The demonstrations were organized in several major Italian cities, including Rome, Turin, and Milan. In Rome, a large march was organized by the Cgil union, which has 4.5 million members, directly challenging the government line of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Cgil secretary Maurizio Landini announced that on November 20, the union would stage a general strike—the same day as a planned pan-European student strike.
Prime Minister Meloni condemned the violence on social media. "Demonstrating is a right. Turning our cities into battlefields is not," she said on X.
The clashes in Italy followed similar violent protests in France, with some reports indicating the Italian demonstrations were inspired by unrest across the border.