Milan protests over rising living costs and wars turn violent
Milan's city center saw major unrest on Saturday as protests over rising living costs and wars turned violent.
Demonstrators clashed with police, looted shops, and set fires, forcing the evacuation of Piazza del Duomo.
Police responded with tear gas and water cannons; around 50 demonstrators were detained while at least two police officers were injured.
Giorgia Meloni, Giuseppe Sala denounce violence
This chaos isn't just a Milan thing: it's part of wider protests across Europe about economic struggles. Similar scenes played out in France recently.
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence but said peaceful protest is different from criminal acts.
Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala said, "The reasons for the protests were understandable. The violence against law enforcement and serious damage to the city are not justifiable."