“Italy deployed soldiers to Milan as the nation’s fashion and finance capital expected fresh protests on Saturday (October 24, 2026),” one week after looting and clashes with police.
They have also targeted recent measures announced by the government of Prime Minister Luis Montenegro that include easing the cap on yearly rent increases and facilitating the eviction of tenants who fail to pay rent. Premier Giorgia Meloni announced a raft of measures, including sending an additional 500 soldiers to Milan, and tougher penalties for minors, who police said made up a large part of the violent protesters.
Authorities are conducting drone surveillance, checks at railway stations, rapid-response units and online monitoring for potential calls to violence. “Many young people increasingly lack a sense of belonging and prospects for the future. Bertolé, a member of the centre-left Democratic Party. High school and university students are demanding lower tuition fees, greater state investment in education and protesting corruption in the education system. They have joined a broader anti-government movement calling for the resignation of Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama. The protests came ahead of next month’s snap election as Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist Party criticised the conservative Opposition Popular Party for making overtures about privatising public pensions.
The 500 soldiers deployed to Milan come in addition to hundreds already stationed there, and will support about 5,000 police and other law enforcement personnel.
Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala has said he is concerned about a repeat of violence this weekend and expressed support for the deployment of more soldiers. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said in a social media post that the troops lacked key tools available for public-order operations, and that soldiers were only recently allowed to use plastic restraint ties and only in areas around train stations, not throughout the city. “They are not authorised to carry pepper spray or tasers,” he said. Part of our society feels excluded, amid social and economic inequalities,” said Mr.
Officials said security measures on Saturday would extend beyond the city center amid concerns protesters could move into other neighbourhoods to evade heavily policed areas.
