Hell for a second day in Milan - Looting in shops - Fires next to the Cathedral - Over 160 arrests - Among them minors

Milan experienced a weekend of urban guerrilla warfare , as the anti-austerity demonstration on Saturday, October 17, turned into violent clashes , while less than 24 hours later, on Sunday, groups of hooded youths returned to the historic center for a new round of looting and destruction , just a few meters from Piazza Duomo .

Saturday: The march for accuracy turned into a battle – Stones, burning barricades and a damaged Carabinieri vehicle

The march against wars and the rising cost of living began peacefully, but at the height of Via Broletto , a barrage of objects began to be thrown at the police. According to the Milan Police Directorate , at least 2,000 very young people participated in the violence, who from the beginning had a clear intention to cause incidents.

The clashes spread to Piazza Duomo and Piazza Cordusio . Hooded men threw stones and pieces of paving stones at riot police and set fire to barricades made of cafe tables . The police responded with tear gas and water cannons . A Carabinieri vehicle was attacked with crowbars and seriously damaged, while a well-known sports shop near San Babila was looted and security personnel were attacked. New barricades with railings, bins and planters were set up on Corso Italia and Via Torino .

The central square and the luxurious Galleria arcade were completely empty, at a time when they are usually full of people.

Injured police officers and 28 arrests in Northern Italy – Damages of at least 500,000 euros in Milan

Several police officers were injured , including two who were hit in the head by stones , including officer Angelo De Simone . According to Italian police figures for Saturday’s incidents in Milan, Bologna, Turin, Brescia and Bergamo , 197 people were identified , 28 were arrested , including 12 minors , and 43 were reported . The charges relate, as appropriate, to destruction, grievous bodily harm and resistance to authority .

Initial estimates put the damage in Milan alone at at least 500,000 euros , mainly from looting and destruction of shops , while shop furniture, bus stops and construction sites were also destroyed.

Sunday: New wave of looting – Supermarkets, Decathlon and branded stores targeted

On Sunday afternoon, hundreds of young people with their faces covered , dressed in black, gathered in small groups in Piazza Duomo and the surrounding streets. On Via Torino , one of the best-known shopping streets, they threw tables and chairs into the windows of sports shops and overturned bins.

The Decathlon store in Piazza Cairoli was looted and destroyed , while on Via Orefici the Levi’s and Under Armour stores were vandalized with skateboards and emptied. The youths also broke into a Carrefour supermarket , while the windows of the Rinascente department store in Piazza Duomo were also damaged. Incidents were also recorded in the Moscova area and Corso Garibaldi .

Around Piazza Mercanti and Via Dante , rioters entrenched themselves and threw stones, bottles and firecrackers at the police, who responded with tear gas and water cannons . The Cathedral closed early , the shops of the Galleria lowered their shutters, while tourists who had taken refuge in the arcade were rescued by the fire brigade .

160 arrests in four hours – 80% minors gathered via social media

Within four hours , about 160 arrests were made, 80% of them minors , while some Italian media outlets reported more than 200 people . According to the Italian Interior Ministry, the groups of young people had gathered through social media . Authorities are considering prosecuting minors for vandalism and resisting authorities .

Meloni: “Protesting is a right, not turning cities into battlefields” – Emergency meeting at Palazzo Chigi

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence on Saturday, calling it a “riot” that is exploiting the protests to sow chaos , while expressing respect for the thousands who demonstrated peacefully. Following the new escalation, she called a public order meeting at Palazzo Chigi for Monday, October 19 , to consider additional tools against those who exploit legitimate demonstrations. Posting a photo of the injured officer , she stressed that the state is not an abstract concept but people who stand by when others choose violence.

Piandendozi: “Professionals of disorder” – The law will also be applied to minors

Interior Minister Matteo Piandendozi described the rioters as “professionals of disorder” and assured that they would not go unpunished , as the law would apply even to minors . He announced that investigations had been launched and defended the police , attributing the difficulties in containing the incidents to the rules of engagement .

Sala vs. Piandendozi for the “few police officers”: Exchange of gunfire with sharp points for “radical chic”

Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala acknowledged the reasons for the social discontent , but described the attacks on police as unjustified , while Sunday’s incidents were condemned as total and without any room for understanding . At the same time, he criticized the planning, saying that the moment was underestimated and that about 200 police officers were too few , while he demanded compensation for the affected merchants .

Piandendozi replied that the adequacy of security measures is always checked retrospectively and accused the mayor of reflexes of the “radical chic” left that cannot condemn violence without asterisks. Sala countered that “a little decency wouldn’t hurt” , recalling that he has been working hard for 45 years .

Political storm: Salvini calls for “freedom of action” for the police, the opposition speaks of government failure

Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini called for greater freedom of action for the forces of order and said that citizenship should not be granted to those identified in the incidents. Senate President Ignazio La Russa described the lack of police as non-existent . On the opposition side, Ivan Scalfarotto (Italia Viva) spoke of the government’s failure to prevent and asked Meloni and Piandendozi to give explanations to the Senate .

The incidents in Milan coincide with the wave of violence sweeping neighboring France , where hundreds of thousands demonstrated on Saturday against the austerity and degradation of public services , in one of the most violent days in years .