Protests and clashes with police reported in Italian cities

Protests against war and rising living costs were held in Italy’s major cities on Saturday. A week after unrest broke out across the country, some incidents of violence and clashes were reported at the demonstrations.

Authorities deployed large numbers of police on the streets to prevent possible damage, and many shops closed as a precaution, AnewZ reported.

After last weekend’s demonstrations, when protesters clashed with police, shops were looted and property was damaged, confrontations between protesters and police took place this time in Turin, Rome and Bologna. Water cannons were used to disperse crowds. Demonstrations in Milan were largely peaceful.

Reuters witnesses at the scene did not see shops being looted or property being damaged.

On Saturday, October 24, protesters entered the gates of Rome’s Colosseum and confronted security guards at the ancient monument. Demonstrators left their pre-arranged route and headed toward the Colosseum, where tourists were still present. Riot police arrived at the site, but the tense standoff did not escalate into clashes with police.

Italy’s Ministry of Culture said there had been no reports of damage to the Colosseum or injuries after protesters entered the site.

One of the demonstrators at the Colosseum said: “I will never receive a pension myself, but that is not the only issue. We are protesting for our parents and grandparents. My grandmother — like many grandmothers who lived through the war — told me two days ago that she could not find food and had no groceries at home.”

After calls for new demonstrations circulated on social media this week, authorities deployed large numbers of police and introduced extensive security measures to prevent a repeat of last weekend’s violence.

Italian police said earlier on Saturday that they had detained a person allegedly involved in organizing the “17 October Movement.” The person was taken to police headquarters in Milan for questioning.