Italy Sends Troops to Milan Ahead of Rallies

Milan’s financial district will host a large military presence this weekend as Italy prepares for a new wave of demonstrations. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government announced the deployment of 500 soldiers to the city following clashes and looting during last week’s protests. The new round of marches is scheduled for Saturday in eight cities across the country, organized by a recently formed group known as the October 17 Movement.

The movement, which works alongside student federations and grassroots trade unions, announced the events online. On Instagram, the group stated that it distrusts the current administration, calling it authoritarian. "Those who deny our future are truly violent," the organizers wrote. They aim to protest the rising cost of living and the right-wing government’s policies.

Security efforts intensified in the days leading up to the rallies. Police conducted raids and searches in several cities targeting individuals suspected of involvement in the previous unrest. On Saturday morning, officers carried out an additional 150 raids in the northern region of Lombardy. The October 17 Movement is keeping the specific locations of the demonstrations secret until the last minute. Three meeting points are expected to be revealed on social media accounts on Saturday afternoon.

Police have identified and are questioning the administrator of the group’s Instagram page. According to the Corriere della Sera, the individual is a 30-year-old Italian-Moroccan freelance journalist and researcher. He faces an investigation on suspicion of inciting crimes. Organizers are urging participants to remain peaceful to avoid giving police a reason to charge the crowd. "We must be peaceful. If we give [the police] an excuse, they will charge against us," a participant identified as E said on Thursday.

The previous protest in Milan resulted in the detention of 271 people. Of those, 220 were under the age of 18. The public prosecutor has blamed social media for misleading young people into what he described as insurrectional acts. Lawyer Michele D'Agostino, who defends two of the demonstrators, noted that his 15-year-old client had seen the protest on TikTok and joined without fully understanding the context. "He didn't even know the reasons behind the protest; he had just seen it on TikTok and decided to check it out with a friend," D'Agostino said.

Justice Minister Carlo Nordio told Sky TG24 that the country needs to expand the capacity of its youth detention facilities in response to the mass arrests. Meanwhile, truck drivers in southern Italy set up roadblocks earlier this week to protest soaring fuel prices. The government responded on Thursday by granting tax breaks and creating a special fund for farmers and fishermen to ease the pressure on the sector.