Cost-of-living protests turn violent in Milan and Bologna

In Milan on Oct 17, police fired tear gas after protesters threw stones near the cathedral, and clashes spread into the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II arcade.

In Bologna, police used water cannon on crowds near the railway station, which was closed as a precaution, and made arrests.

What the protesters denounced

• High fuel and energy prices
• Soaring rents
• Low wages
• Healthcare and education cuts
• Military spending

The marches, led by students and young workers, targeted fuel and energy prices, rents, low wages and military spending.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence, saying protest is a right but turning cities into battlegrounds is not.