Italy plans to send 500 soldiers to Milan after protests

After mass protests against rising living costs and a shortage of social services in northern Italian cities turned violent, the Italian government is preparing to raise security measures in Milan to the highest level.

Operative Information Center-OMM reports that Deputy Prime Minister and League party leader Matteo Salvini said a 500-strong military contingent would be sent to Milan to restore order on the streets and protect the city from illegal activity. A new package of emergency security measures is expected to be formally approved at a Cabinet meeting.

The protests, which began over inadequate public services and inflation, have also drawn large crowds in industrial centers including Bologna, Brescia, Bergamo and Turin. Demonstrations that were initially peaceful escalated into violent clashes in central Milan. Hundreds of masked protesters set fire to rubbish bins, looted businesses and caused extensive damage to public property.

After the unrest, branded stores including Chanel, Tiffany, Dior, Levi’s, Under Armour and Decathlon on luxury shopping streets such as Milan’s Via Montenapoleone were forced to cover their windows with cardboard and wooden panels. Police said Decathlon, Arc’teryx and Vodafone outlets were looted by protesters.

Italian law enforcement authorities said 271 young people were detained during the riots, and 32 of them were arrested. Of those arrested, 23 were minors and 13 were foreign nationals.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni strongly condemned the violence ahead of upcoming general elections and held an emergency meeting with security officials. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the state would take a firm stance against attacks on public institutions and private property.

According to the newspaper Corriere della Sera, the government plans to extend the period of preventive detention for minors as part of efforts to combat youth gangs and bring a new security bill into force immediately.

The unrest in Milan is being viewed as a sign of deepening socioeconomic tensions in eastern and western Europe, following a wave of mass social protests in France that brought hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets.