Italy: 500 soldiers patrol Milan as protests spread to eight cities; police charge crowds in Turin

Army paratroopers patrolled Milan, including around the Duomo, on 24-10-2026 after the government sent 500 more soldiers to the city, a week after the looting of 17 October, Al Jazeera reported. More than 1,400 police, Carabinieri and soldiers were deployed in Milan, Il Sole 24 Ore reported. Luxury boutiques including Omega, Tiffany and Gucci boarded up their windows, AP reported.

Protests against Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government and living costs were called in Rome, Milan, Turin, Naples, Genoa, Bologna, Florence and other cities. In Turin, riot police charged demonstrators who threw objects and firecrackers, and two people were detained for questioning. In Bologna, several hundred people confronted police at close range. In Rome, demonstrators entered the Colosseum before leaving and facing officers outside. The student march in Milan was largely peaceful, Il Sole 24 Ore reported.

The crackdown

Police carried out more than 150 searches in Milan, Monza and about 20 other towns over last week's unrest. A 30-year-old freelance journalist who runs the October 17 Movement's Instagram page is under investigation for inciting crimes. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi wrote: "There will be no safe havens, and the state will respond immediately against anyone" who organises attacks and riots. Justice Minister Carlo Nordio said Italy needs to "expand the capacity of our youth detention facilities".

Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said the soldiers cannot carry pepper spray or tasers. "Many young people increasingly lack a sense of belonging and prospects for the future," said Milan welfare councillor Lamberto Bertolé.