Italy tightens security as nationwide protests target living costs

Tens of thousands of students and workers took to the streets across Italy on Friday to protest rising living costs, military spending and wars in the Middle East. Police tightened security after weeks of unrest.

The USB trade union called a general strike, drawing demonstrators from the public and private sectors. Marches took place in Rome, Milan, Naples and dozens of other cities. Protesters also demanded more investment in education. Truck drivers, taxi drivers and farmers were among those who joined the rallies, Al Jazeera reported.

In Rome, demonstrators waved communist and Palestinian flags and carried signs opposing the war against Iran. Some released pink smoke bombs. Giovanna Di Matteo, a member of the left-wing Potere al Popolo! party, told NBC News she was protesting a government that “did nothing for the people of this country.”

The government had spent money on the military “while they cut on welfare, they cut on services and people cannot reach the end of the month,” she said. “They have no money for their houses, they have no money for gasoline and everything.”

Police deployed riot units in Rome, with drones and helicopters overhead. Security was increased around the Colosseum and Milan’s cathedral. In Turin, a few skirmishes broke out between protesters and riot police at the start of a march, Al Jazeera reported. Rallies were also held in Bologna and Genoa.

Ports were another focus. NBC News reported that protesters were expected to blockade ports including Genoa, Livorno and Trieste. Unions in Italy joined counterparts in France, Greece, Spain, Turkiye and Morocco in calling for an end to wars in the Middle East, including the war in Gaza, and “an end to the militarisation of ports,” according to Al Jazeera.

“Ports must not be used for the transport of weapons, ammunition, military equipment and troops,” the unions said in a statement. “Dockworkers do not work for war!”

The demonstrations followed violent protests in Italy and elsewhere in Europe. Earlier this month, masked groups looted shops and threw projectiles at police in Milan and other Italian cities; police responded with tear gas and water cannons, according to NBC News. The outlet also reported that protesters stormed the Colosseum on a Saturday and that farmers and truckers blockaded highways and ports in southern Italy. It linked their protests over high fuel prices to increases since the United States and Israel launched the war against Iran.

Al Jazeera reported that Italy’s government agreed last week to a 175 million euro ($195 million) aid package for truck drivers, farmers and fishermen affected by higher fuel prices. It also reported that prices for food, energy, transport and bills have risen 68 percent since 2000, while the average wage has fallen almost 5 percent.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has expressed respect for peaceful protesters while backing measures against violence. Following clashes between young people and police in Milan over the weekend of October 17-18, she toughened laws on public gatherings and eased restrictions on detaining minors, Al Jazeera reported.

Measures under discussion for the draft 2027 budget include an annual 2,500 euro bonus for workers under 30. “I hope this can provide answers for young people in general… who feel that the state doesn’t care about them,” Meloni said Wednesday, adding that the measures were “not for those who smash windows.”