On Saturday, October 17, Italian police clashed with protesters in the square in front of Milan's cathedral. The metro station in this area was closed for several hours. Clashes in this city continued until Sunday. The official Italian news agency said more than 200 people were arrested, 80% of whom were under 18. The police tried to remove the protesters from a luxury shopping center at the end of Church Square. These protests started as a response to the increase in the cost of living. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Maloney said: "It is a right to protest, but no one has the right to destroy our cities." He added that the "rioters" took advantage of these demonstrations to "create chaos". Clashes also occurred in the city of Turin. A large group of protesters stormed a bookstore and threw books and store supplies on the floor. The demonstrations in Bologna turned violent. The police reported that 36 police officers were injured in clashes in Bologna. According to the police, dozens of people were arrested, including four teenagers under the age of 18. Today's events
Saturday was described as one of the most violent demonstrations in Italy in recent years.