Amid soaring living costs, protests and violent clashes have erupted in Italy, mirroring similar unrest in France.

Following two days of riots and violence in Milan, the country's second-largest city and primary industrial and fashion hub, the government has announced plans to deploy 500 troops to the city.

This step is being taken to bolster security in the wake of clashes between protesters, police intervention, storefront looting, and property vandalism.

Fearing a fresh wave of violence, high-end commercial district shops in the city were closed down preemptively, according to a report by The Guardian.

Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini confirmed the decision on Monday (October 19). Salvini, leader of the ruling right-wing League party, wrote on social media, "From words to action: 500 more troops to protect Milan."

The military deployment is expected to be included in a package of security measures submitted for approval during Tuesday's cabinet meeting.

Luxury goods stores in Milan's central area closed early on Monday.

As the country's financial capital braced for potential renewed violence, many shops installed wooden hoardings and other protective measures across their windows.

Most branded stores—including Chanel, Tiffany, and Dior located on Via Montenapoleone, Milan's elite shopping district—cleared their display windows as a precautionary measure while police patrolled the streets and a few tourists looked on.

The protests began peacefully on Saturday over the quality of public services and rising living costs.

Over the weekend, however, hundreds of masked protesters—many believed to be minors—set fire to trash bins in the city center and looted local shops.

Television footage showed that among the looted stores were sporting goods retailers Decathlon and Arc’teryx, alongside mobile phone service provider Vodafone.

Showcases for brands such as Levi's, Under Armour, and Decathlon were also covered with cardboard and wooden panels.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, facing national elections next year, condemned the violence. On Monday, she held a meeting with ministers and security officials to review the situation.

Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani wrote on social media platform X, "The government will respond firmly to these attacks against the state, which will include measures to control juvenile violence."

Meloni is considering extending pre-trial detention limits for minors and stepping up enforcement against youth criminal gangs.

Steps may also be taken to fast-track certain provisions of a security bill currently under review in parliament.

Italian police reported that 271 youths were detained in connection with Sunday's violence in Milan, with 32 arrested.

Among those arrested, 23 were minors and 13 were foreign nationals.

Additionally, legal authorities were notified regarding 28 others.

Clashes were also reported on Saturday in several northern Italian cities, including Bologna, Brescia, Bergamo, and Turin.

According to a police report released on Sunday, 28 protesters were arrested in connection with those incidents.

The unrest in Italy bears similarities to recent protests in neighboring France, where hundreds of thousands took to the streets on Saturday out of anger over rising living costs and declining public services, sparking some of the country's most violent demonstrations in years.
Source: The Guardian