Italy deploys 500 additional soldiers to defend Milan after riots and looting
Milan, Oct 20 (UNI) Italy is deploying 500 additional soldiers to Milan after two days of riots left shops looted, police officers injured and hundreds of people detained.
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini announced the deployment on Monday as luxury retailers in the country's financial capital closed their doors and cleared display windows amid fears of further unrest. "From words to action: 500 more troops to defend Milan," Salvini, leader of the right-wing League party, wrote on social media.
The move followed an emergency security meeting chaired by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose government is preparing tougher measures against violent protesters and youth gangs. The unrest began over the weekend during demonstrations against rising living costs and deteriorating public services. Initially peaceful rallies escalated into clashes as groups of hooded youths attacked police, set barricades alight and looted shops around Milan's central Piazza del Duomo.
Riot police responded with tear gas and water cannons as demonstrators threw bottles and other projectiles. Businesses targeted included Decathlon, Arc'teryx and Vodafone, while other retailers boarded up damaged storefronts. Police detained 271 people on Sunday, with 32 formally arrested, including 23 minors and 13 foreign nationals. Another 28 people were referred to judicial authorities. Fourteen police officers were injured, according to ANSA. Local prosecutors estimated that damage from smashed windows, vandalised premises and stolen merchandise exceeded €1 million, excluding lost sales.
Luxury retailers including Chanel, Hermès and Pomellato closed on Monday, while other high-end stores removed goods from display windows ahead of a possible further wave of attacks. Salvini accused the rioters of deliberately provoking confrontations with police, arguing that economic hardship could not justify the violence. He called for tougher legislation allowing preventive detention of minors and arrests based on video evidence of looting. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also promised a firm response, with reports suggesting the government could fast-track measures targeting violent youth gangs.
Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala condemned the destruction as "unacceptable and unjustifiable", warning that tensions remained high. The unrest comes amid a wider wave of violent protests in Europe, particularly in neighbouring France, where demonstrations over the cost of living, public services and government spending cuts have escalated into widespread rioting. French authorities reported nearly 2,400 arrests over the weekend, alongside looting at hundreds of businesses and fires at public buildings.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced plans for localised curfews on Monday as President Emmanuel Macron faced mounting criticism over the authorities' handling of the unrest.
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