Protests sweep Italian cities amid heavy security presence, some violence reported


Demonstrators attend a spontaneous demonstration against the rising cost of living, a week after protests ended in clashes and looting in northern cities, in Milan, Italy October 24, 2026. REUTERS/Claudia Greco

MILAN, Oct 24 (Reuters) - ⁠Protests against war and rising living ⁠costs took place in major Italian cities ‌on Saturday, with some incidents of violence, a week after unrest erupted across the country.

Authorities deployed a ​heavy police presence and many ⁠shops closed as ⁠a precaution against possible damage.

The demonstrations, which followed ⁠clashes last ‌weekend in which protesters fought with police, looted shops and vandalised ⁠property, were violent in Turin, Rome ​and Bologna, ‌with clashes between officers and demonstrators. They ⁠were largely ​peaceful in Milan.

Reuters witnesses did not observe any shops being looted or property vandalised.

After calls ⁠for further demonstrations circulated on ​social media this week, authorities made extensive security arrangements and deployed large numbers of police ⁠officers to prevent a repeat of last weekend's violence.

Earlier on Saturday, Italian police said they had detained a person allegedly linked to ​organising the "October 17 Movement" — ⁠last weekend's protests — and had taken them to ​police headquarters in Milan ‌for questioning.

(Reporting by Cristina Carlevaro, ​Yara Nardi, Claudia Greco, Alex Fraser, Roberto Mignucci, editing by Rod Nickel)

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