This Friday, thousands of people have once again gathered in the streets of numerous cities in Italy to demonstrate against the Government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, coinciding with a general strike day. The mobilization is part of the wave of protests sweeping several European countries and which, in the Italian case, began in mid-October, driven mainly by students and workers.
The largest marches have taken place in Rome, the capital, and in cities such as Milan, Naples and Turin. In these and in more than 50 cities, students from secondary schools and universities have joined the call of the Unione Sindacale di Base (USB), which has called for support for the strike to denounce the high cost of living and the increase in defense spending.
The organizing union estimates that around one million people may have participated in the protests throughout the day, although for now neither the Executive nor the Police have released official figures on participation.
In the face of fear of new incidents, the security forces have deployed extensive operations throughout the country, after the serious disturbances two weeks ago, when more than 200 officers were injured in Milan alone.
In Turin, clashes have taken place in Castello square, after groups of demonstrators advanced toward the police cordon and threw eggs and plastic and glass bottles, which led the officers to use water cannons to disperse the crowd.
Also in Vicenza, in the Veneto region, a dozen police officers have been injured during the clashes recorded in the framework of the protests. In parallel, about 25,000 people are demonstrating in Milan, according to data released by the news agency Adnkronos.
These mobilizations take place in a scenario of strong economic pressure on Italian households, especially among low and middle incomes, hit by inflation, the rising cost of gasoline and diesel, and the lack of progress in wages. Added to this is the growing difficulty of accessing housing at affordable prices in the country's main urban centers.