Milan deployed 500 paratroopers to reinforce security across the city centre on Saturday as Italian authorities prepared for possible renewed unrest following a demonstration against the cost of living that descended into violence and looting the previous weekend.
The soldiers, from the Folgore Brigade, were deployed by the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to support police patrols and reinforce security around major commercial areas, transport facilities and tourist sites. Authorities said the situation was being monitored continuously, although no major demonstrations had been detected by Saturday morning.
The heightened security followed an initial call by the October 17 Movement, a group that emerged after the previous clashes, for another demonstration in Duomo Square. The authorities also monitored social media, where further gatherings were being organised, amid concerns that the earlier violence could be repeated.
The military presence was particularly visible around Duomo Square, where about 10 police vans were parked, and along commercial streets including Corso Buenos Aires. Soldiers were also patrolling tunnels in the underground railway network. Some shops, including businesses in central Milan’s luxury shopping district, had boarded up their storefronts to protect against damage similar to that inflicted during the previous weekend’s unrest.
The deployment forms part of Italy’s Safe Streets Operation, which has placed security personnel in the country’s busiest and most heavily visited areas since 2008. The government’s decision to reinforce the operation in Milan comes amid growing concern over the scale of the recent disturbances and the involvement of young people, including minors.
Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini toured central Milan on Saturday morning to monitor the situation. The day was being treated as a test of the government’s approach to public security following the previous weekend’s violence.
Authorities have identified 273 people suspected of participating in the violent protests in Milan a week earlier. Most were teenagers, and the youngest identified was 11 years old. Forty people had already been arrested, according to the report.
On Friday, authorities monitored social media users in 18 cities across northern Italy and identified about 100 demonstrators, half of them minors. The monitoring formed part of efforts to identify people involved in the disturbances and assess the possibility of further protests.
Meloni approved a decree the previous week introducing tougher deterrent measures. These include requiring parents to pay for damage caused by their children and provisions for the preventive detention of underage protesters.
The unrest began during a demonstration against rising living costs but developed into riots and looting involving young people. The emergence of the October 17 Movement after the clashes added to concerns that further gatherings could lead to renewed disorder.
The government’s response has combined a substantial security deployment with measures targeting those suspected of participating in the violence. Authorities continued to monitor the situation across Milan on Saturday, with paratroopers and police maintaining a visible presence in the city centre.
