At least eight people were arrested this Friday in Rome during a new day of protests against the executive of Prime Minister Georgia Meloni. The mobilizations began peacefully, but by nightfall they turned into serious incidents in the center of the Italian capital, with bottles being thrown at the Police, riot police charges, and the use of water cannons.
The morning marches took place without noteworthy clashes. However, as the hours went by, the clashes between demonstrators and security forces intensified. In the capital, a group broke away from the main demonstration to throw various objects at the officers and set fire to several garbage containers, according to Italian media.
As the afternoon progressed, the atmosphere became increasingly tense until the situation ended with the arrest of eight people who tried to force the police cordon and overcome the barriers installed by the officers.
In Turin, the Police also resorted to water cannons and fired stun explosives to disperse the groups approaching the cordons. By night, new clashes were recorded when those gathered hurled a heavy rain of bottles, which led the officers to respond with tear gas.
The tension also spread to Mestre, near Venice, where seven police officers suffered bruises and cuts while trying to contain the protesters who sought to break the blockade that kept the road closed. In the city of Vicenza, in the northeast of the country, ten people among demonstrators and officers were injured in the disturbances.
In Milan, scene of episodes of violence and looting since two weeks ago, the participants in the protests toured different neighborhoods leaving graffiti with slogans such as "Meloni hanged". In this context, the presence of a contingent of 500 soldiers deployed to reinforce security in the city has been extended until March 31, 2027.
Coinciding with the general strike, the Italian Workers' Socialist Union (USB) organized various rallies in cities such as Rome, Turin, and Milan. The union has estimated that more than one million people have demonstrated throughout the country, while the Ministry of the Interior has lowered the figure to just 255,000 attendees.
These protests are framed in a context of growing economic pressure on Italian households, especially in low and middle incomes, hit by inflation, the increase in the price of gasoline and diesel, and the freezing of wages. Added to this is the difficulty of accessing affordable housing in the country's main urban centers.