Milan riots erupted for a second night as cost-of-living protests turned violent in Italy's fashion capital, with masked youths looting stores, smashing shop windows and setting bins on fire around Piazza del Duomo.
What began on Saturday, October 17 as an authorised march by the Italia in Piazza movement against rising prices, fuel costs and the tax burden descended into chaos as black-clad rioters hijacked the evening. Police figures cited by Sky TG24 say 141 officers were injured on the first day, and 28 people were arrested across Italy, including 12 minors. On Sunday, October 18, the violence returned: hundreds of hooded youths moved between Piazza San Babila, via Torino, the cathedral square and corso Vittorio Emanuele, ransacking a supermarket, smashing the windows of the La Rinascente department store on Piazza del Duomo and a sports store, and pelting police and carabinieri with stones, chairs and firecrackers. Officers responded with tear gas and water cannon near the Royal Palace. According to Italy's ANSA news agency, more than 200 people were taken to police stations, around 80 percent of them minors. The disorder even reached the cathedral forecourt, where the main doors were temporarily closed. Clashes also flared in Turin, Bologna, Bergamo and Brescia.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence, saying demonstrating is a right but putting cities to fire and sword is not, and announced a government meeting on public order for Monday. Milan's mayor Giuseppe Sala described smashed shop windows, looted stores and frightened citizens. The scenes echo violent cost-of-living protests in neighbouring France, where hundreds of thousands marched the same weekend — cost-of-living anger is sweeping Europe's streets.
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