Brief
Violent cost‑of‑living protests spread from Milan to Paris and beyond
Demonstrations against inflation and service cuts erupted into clashes in northern Italy and several French cities, leaving at least 20 injured and 60 detained.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Protests that began as a response to soaring inflation, gas prices and cuts to public services turned violent on Saturday, spreading from Milan’s Piazza Duomo to Turin, Bologna and multiple French cities, including Paris and Limoges, according to Vanity Fair.
What happened
Organisers circulated a flyer on social media platforms such as Telegram and TikTok urging “Everyone to the Square—National Protest.” Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in downtown Milan on Friday and Saturday. A faction of masked youths allegedly deployed smoke bombs, firecrackers, overturned furniture and set fire to a construction site behind the Duomo. Similar unrest was reported in Turin, Bologna and French cities as far south as Limoges, where the city hall was vandalised.
What the reports add
Vanity Fair notes that Milanese officials counted at least twenty injuries and sixty detentions. The outlet also records that local witnesses said the violence was sparked by a separate group of masked young people, not the student collectives that had organised the original peaceful demonstration.
What was said
Milan mayor Giuseppe Sala said the protest’s grievances were understandable but condemned the violence against law‑enforcement and property damage, adding that politicians must choose to address the “extremely difficult historical moment.” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote on social media that protesting is a right, but ransacking cities is not, urging an unequivocal condemnation of the violence.
How it came about
The unrest follows a wave of cost‑of‑living protests across Europe, previously covered by Felo News in articles about riots in Milan and broader demonstrations in Belgium, Italy, Portugal and France.
Key facts
- At least 20 people were injured in the Milan protests (vanityfair.com)
- Around 60 protesters were detained in Milan (vanityfair.com)
- Violence spread to Turin, Bologna and French cities including Paris and Limoges (vanityfair.com)
- Mayor Giuseppe Sala condemned the violence and called for political solutions (vanityfair.com)
- Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni urged an unequivocal condemnation of the riots (vanityfair.com)
Sources
- [1] vanityfair.com — originally reported as “Protests Against The High Cost of Living Turn Violent In Milan”
