Key facts
- Tens of thousands protested across Italy on Friday during a nationwide strike.
- Protesters demanded higher wages, stronger public services, and opposed increased military spending.
- The Unione Sindacale di Base union called the 24-hour general strike.
- Demonstrations took place in over 40 cities.
- Clashes occurred in Turin where police used a water cannon.
Tens of thousands of people, primarily students and workers, participated in a nationwide strike and protests across Italy on Friday. The demonstrations, organized by the Unione Sindacale di Base union, aimed to secure higher wages, bolster public services, and protest the rising cost of living and military expenditures. While largely peaceful, some confrontations occurred, notably in Turin where police deployed a water cannon against protesters. Marches took place in major cities including Rome, Milan, and Genoa, with some demonstrators in Genoa entering the port to voice opposition to arms shipments.