There were moments of inevitable tension, some clashes with police, including charges and tear gas. But overall, nothing particularly serious, and above all, nothing comparable to what happened last weekend in downtown Milan.

This is the provisional outcome of the protests against the high cost of living held in all the main Italian cities.

Everywhere there were chants and banners against Giorgia Meloni and the government, against the high cost of living, against the war and rearmament, and even against Zelensky. There were also slogans against the police.

MILAN

Milan is under special observation, with the Duomo under lockdown and several preventative checks on the subway to prevent the mass looting and vandalism that occurred last weekend in the city center. Clashes erupted near Corso Venezia, where several thousand protesters, mostly university students, clashed with police. Some batons were used, and the march was blocked near Via Borghetto. Several shops closed their shutters for fear of unrest.

There were two marches: one from Piazza Leonardo Da Vinci headed toward the city center, starting with 500 people and gradually swelling to several thousand. Another 5,000 protesters, mostly students and opponents of the collectives, set out from Lanza in front of the Piccolo Teatro and headed toward the suburbs.

BOLOGNA

Police charged in Bologna's Piazza dei Martiri, chasing protesters back toward Via Marconi. Shortly beforehand, protesters had thrown bottles at the police. Meanwhile, a water cannon arrived to clear the protesters. The march also threw firecrackers at police and Carabinieri officers. Some protesters were stopped, and officers subsequently charged again.

FLORENCE

In Florence, tensions rose when the march, leaving Piazza Santo Spirito, attempted to reach the heart of the city center and stopped on the Santa Trinità Bridge after police blocked access to Via Tornabuoni, the city's main thoroughfare, and the Lungarno, which leads to Ponte Vecchio. There were several tense moments, with clashes between protesters and police, objects thrown by protesters, and truncheons being used by riot police. After several minutes, the situation returned to normal.

ROME

Tense moments erupted in Rome in the Colosseum archaeological area. Here, young people detoured to the Arch of Constantine, an area traditionally crowded with tourists. Riot police also intervened. Tense moments ensued, but no clashes ensued. Some protesters entered the Colosseum.

TURIN

Clashes erupted in Turin when police prevented protesters gathered in Piazza Castello from proceeding toward Via Po. Officers repelled the demonstrators with a brief charge, using shields and batons. Police had urged participants to proceed toward the northern part of the city, through the Royal Gardens. Objects, including rocks, were thrown at the police.

NAPLES

Tense moments, but without significant consequences, occurred during the demonstration in Naples. They occurred on Via de Pretis, as protesters passed by the MSC Cruises building, whose entrance was guarded by a barrier of riot police. This situation sparked a scuffle among the protesters that ended within seconds.

Protesters themselves repeatedly urged those wearing hoods to uncover their heads. Two firecrackers exploded during the demonstration, accompanied by a chant of disapproval ("Scemo, scemo"). The march, numbering over 500 people, reached Piazza Municipio. "Giorgia Meloni go away" was the most common chant chanted by the protesters, along with calls for the prime minister's resignation.

Finally, when the protesters asked the officers to remove their helmets as a gesture of calm, concluding a demonstration without public order problems, the police responded by loosening the security cordon and moving away a few meters, amid applause from the square.

(Unioneonline)

© Riproduzione riservata