Safety Must Be Guaranteed To Everyone: Meloni Backs Police As Italy Detains 371 Amid Protests

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday, October 24, defended the right to peaceful demonstrations while stressing public safety, as thousands of protesters took to the streets across Italy over the rising cost of living, opposition to war and the government’s policies. Police arrested nine people and briefly detained 371 others across eight cities, including 110 minors.

In a post on X, Meloni thanked law enforcement personnel for maintaining order despite attempts by some demonstrators to provoke clashes. “The right to demonstrate must always be guaranteed, just as the right of citizens to live their cities in safety must be,” she said, praising Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, prefects and police chiefs for coordinating security operations.

Meloni also defended security measures approved by her Cabinet in recent days, saying the government wanted to equip the state with more effective tools to prevent violence. “Because safety must be guaranteed to everyone,” she said, referring to peaceful demonstrators, workers and residents who want to live without fear.

Authorities deployed thousands of police officers and soldiers, with drone surveillance and additional checks at railway stations and public gathering points. The heightened security followed violent demonstrations the previous weekend, when protesters clashed with police, looted shops and vandalised property.

Saturday’s rallies saw confrontations in Turin, Rome and Bologna, while demonstrations in Milan were largely peaceful, according to Reuters. In Bologna, police used water cannon and tear gas after demonstrators threw bottles and other objects at security forces. Despite the tensions, Reuters reported no shop looting or property vandalism during Saturday’s protests.

Police also detained a person in Milan allegedly linked to organising the October 17 Movement, associated with the previous weekend’s demonstrations, and took the individual to police headquarters for questioning.

The unrest extended beyond Italy, with demonstrations reported in France, Spain, Portugal and Albania. Protesters raised concerns over pensions, affordable housing, education, corruption, public services and opposition to war.

In Madrid, demonstrators demanded inflation-linked pension increases, a minimum pension matching the minimum wage and safeguards for the public pension system. In Portugal, affordable housing was a central concern. France also witnessed clashes during demonstrations, with reports of arrests and injuries among security personnel and protesters.