Italian police clash with protesters in Milan and Bologna
Around 12 people were reportedly hospitalised, while approximately 50 individuals were detained and taken to police headquarters for processing, according to the broadcaster. In Milan, clashes erupted in Piazza Duomo, the square in front of the city’s Gothic cathedral, after groups of protesters threw stones at police, Italian media reported. At least seven people were arrested, the ANSA news agency reported. In Bologna, the disorders led to the precautionary closure of the railway station. ” In Milan, the unrest escalated as groups allegedly smashed shop windows, set fire to a nearby construction site and launched pyrotechnics at state police officers along Via Broletto, Rai News reported.
The unrest also prompted the precautionary closure of the city’s central railway station, Meloni said. However, she said the violence in Milan, Turin and Bologna could not be ignored, citing injuries to police officers, property damage and the discovery of people carrying potential weapons. “On the other hand, however, we cannot ignore what happened in other Italian squares,” Meloni stated.
Protesters threw stones at security forces, prompting arrests and emergency measures, while Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence and urged opposition parties to take a clear stand against unrest. Riot police also moved to clear hooded demonstrators from the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a luxury shopping arcade near the cathedral, as violence broke out during the demonstration. In Bologna, police used water cannons to disperse crowds after a protest turned violent. “In Milan, as these images show, stones were thrown at the Law Enforcement Forces, officers were injured, and damage and violence occurred that forced the interruption of the procession. In Turin, people were stopped carrying cobblestones and window-breaking hammers. Riot police conducted multiple charges after protesters attempted to breach security cordons.
Police fired tear gas in Milan and deployed water cannons in Bologna on Saturday as demonstrations against the rising cost of living turned violent in several Italian cities.