Hundreds of soldiers sent to Milan as protesters march across Europe
Authorities added 500 soldiers and expanded surveillance after last week’s looting, as police said minors made up much of the violence.
- On Saturday, October 24, 2026, Italy deployed 500 additional soldiers from the Folgore Parachute Brigade to Milan, joining hundreds already stationed there to support about 5,000 police and law enforcement personnel ahead of planned nationwide protests.
- Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's hard-right government adopted a security decree this week introducing a crime of "violent participation in a demonstration" and easing detention rules for minors, responding to last weekend's looting involving about 2,000 young protesters.
- Authorities are investigating a 30-year-old Italian-Moroccan freelance journalist suspected of being the alleged "mastermind" behind the "October 17 Movement," which police identify as the primary driver of the decentralized, digital-first demonstrations across Italian cities.
- Protests over cost-of-living and housing erupted simultaneously across Europe on Saturday, with large crowds marching in Madrid and Tirana, reflecting broader economic frustrations mirroring Italy's unrest as citizens demand policy change.
- Defense Minister Guido Crosetto stated deployed troops lack key public-order tools including pepper spray and tasers, authorized only to use plastic restraint ties near train stations, while the Fsp police union warned soldiers cannot resolve fundamental staffing shortages.
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224 Articles
Protests in Europe: Incidents in Italy and Belgium. Hundreds of People Detained, Clashes with Police
The Italian police announced that nine people were arrested, and 371 were detained during the Saturday protests in eight cities, reports The Guardian.
Milan (Italy), Oct 24 (EFE).- This Saturday was presented as a "delicate" day in the Italian city of Milan (north), where thousands of people demonstrated against the high cost of living, but also to challenge the new and iron security strategy imposed by the government of Giorgia Meloni to prevent further looting. [...] La entrada The streets of Milan take the pulse to the ‘iron fist’ in safety of Meloni was first published in HolaNews.
Authorities have taken extensive security measures and deployed a large number of police officers to prevent a repeat of last weekend's violence The post Italy: New wave of protests with heavy police presence – Report on isolated incidents of violence appeared first on in.gr.
REPORTING - To avoid a new weekend of "chaos", the Meloni government sent a regiment of paratroopers and their armoured vehicles.
Although the protests in France are receiving the most international attention, large demonstrations also took place today in various other European cities, including Milan, Madrid, Lisbon, Brussels, and Tirana. Italian Prime Minister Meloni sent 500 troops to Milan today. Together with thousands of police officers, they are tasked with preventing a repeat of last week's unrest. The demonstrations there revolve primarily around the rising cost …
Beyond France, large demonstrations have shaken many European cities.
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