Key facts
- Italy will deploy 500 soldiers to Milan following protests and looting.
- Italian police detained 271 people, arresting 32, including minors and foreign nationals.
- New security measures include tougher penalties for rioters and financial liability for parents of minors involved in vandalism.
- Luxury stores in Milan removed merchandise from windows as a precaution.
- Protests over the cost of living have also occurred in France, Portugal, and Albania.
Italy's government is deploying 500 soldiers to Milan and has vowed a "firm response" after protests against the cost of living escalated into clashes with police, vandalism, and looting. Further demonstrations are planned for Saturday.
Italian police detained 271 young people following unrest on Saturday and Sunday, during which hooded youths set bins ablaze, ransacked shops, and smashed windows. Police used teargas and water cannon to disperse the groups. Of those detained, 32 were arrested, including 23 minors and 13 foreign nationals, with a further 28 people reported to judicial authorities.
Luxury brands such as Chanel, Tiffany, and Dior removed merchandise from their windows as a precaution. The government announced new security measures, including an offense for violent participation in demonstrations and tougher penalties for rioters, with financial liability for parents whose children engage in vandalism.
Similar protests and unrest have occurred in France, where authorities announced partial curfews in several cities and a ban on carrying petrol or gas. In Portugal, police dismantled housing protest camps, arresting 55 people, while in Albania, anti-government demonstrations led to clashes with police.