Brief
Italy deploys heavy security for Saturday cost‑of‑living protests in eight cities
Security forces will saturate both physical and virtual territory as protests organized by the October 17 Movement hit eight Italian cities on Saturday.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Italian police announced a massive security deployment for Saturday's cost‑of‑living protests in eight cities, including Rome and Milan, after previous demonstrations turned violent.
Rome's police force said it would "saturate both physical and virtual territory" and will employ drones and helicopters to monitor the gatherings, while still aiming to safeguard the right to express dissent within the law.
In Milan, extra soldiers will patrol the city centre following last weekend's unrest. Mayor Giuseppe Sala told Radio Lombardia that the city will not shut down and that authorities will simply increase their presence, saying, "Last weekend there weren't enough of us. We will simply try to be more numerous." He also urged shops to stay open to prevent panic.
The protests are being organised by a group calling itself the "October 17 Movement," which plans three demonstrations in each city, converging at a single location. Exact sites will be disclosed half an hour before the 1300 GMT start.
Separately, an anti‑war group named the "Anti‑imperialist Axis" has arranged a rally in Rome. The government this week adopted a security decree that eases detention rules for minors, creates a crime of "violent participation in a demonstration," and imposes fines on parents for damage caused by their children.
Police reported dozens of raids on suspected looters and rioters from the previous weekend and noted that most truck blockades that disrupted southern Italy have now been lifted.
Key facts
- Police will use drones and helicopters in Rome for Saturday protests (france24.com)
- Mayor Giuseppe Sala said Milan will increase police presence and keep shops open (france24.com)
- The October 17 Movement plans three protests per city, locations revealed 30 minutes before 1300 GMT (france24.com)
- A new security decree creates a crime of "violent participation in a demonstration" and fines parents for damage (france24.com)
- Dozens of raids were carried out on suspected looters after last weekend's unrest (france24.com)
Sources
- [1] france24.com — originally reported as “Protests against cost of living expected in Italy under heavy security”
