Milan descended into chaos on Sunday as hundreds of masked protesters clashed with police, smashed shop windows and looted stores in the city centre, with videos showing tense scenes around the iconic Piazza del Duomo. The violence erupted during demonstrations against the rising cost of living and deteriorating public services, a day after similar unrest swept several Italian cities.According to Italian news outlet Il Post, groups of youths, many of them minors, moved through central Milan, throwing firecrackers, damaging property and breaking into shops along Via Torino, around Piazza Duomo and in the Castello district. Several tram shelters were smashed, while scooters, tables and rubbish bins were overturned. Protesters also targeted a window at the Rinascente department store and threw stones at the windows of a McDonald’s outlet.Videos circulating on social media showed crowds scattering through Piazza del Duomo amid clouds of smoke, with police vehicles surrounded by demonstrators and officers confronting groups in the square.Reuters reported that police in riot gear used tear gas and water cannons after several hundred hooded protesters smashed shop windows and set rubbish bins on fire near Piazza Duomo. According to sources cited by the news agency, more than 60 protesters were taken to police stations for further checks.Il Post reported that more than 200 youths had been stopped and taken to police stations by Sunday evening, with around 80% of them believed to be minors, according to police sources. Several had already been identified during Saturday’s unrest. Police also moved towards Via Meravigli and Piazzale Cadorna, where further disturbances were reported. Around 10 people were stopped near San Babila after attempting to flee from officers in riot gear.The latest violence followed clashes on Saturday in Milan, Bologna, Brescia, Bergamo and Turin. According to a police report cited by Reuters, 28 protesters were arrested following Saturday’s confrontations.Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence and announced a meeting on public order at Palazzo Chigi on Monday to discuss further measures against those exploiting demonstrations to cause unrest.Milan mayor Giuseppe Sala also acknowledged the grievances behind the protests while condemning the destruction, saying the reasons for demonstrating were understandable but violence against law enforcement and serious damage to the city were unjustifiable.The unrest in Italy unfolded alongside violent demonstrations in neighbouring France and Belgium, where anger over rising living costs and public services also triggered clashes, looting and confrontations with security forces.
