A cost-of-living protest in Milan turned into hours of clashes near the Duomo Cathedral as masked youths attacked police and set fires in the city center. About 5,000 people, mostly young and many of them minors, marched against high prices, fuel costs, low wages and strained public services. Groups threw stones and firecrackers, set barricades on fire, looted shops and damaged a Carabinieri vehicle, while police responded with tear gas and water cannons and cleared the square. Around 50 people were detained, about half of them minors, and dozens were injured, including police officers. Similar clashes broke out in Bologna and Turin, and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence while defending the right to protest.
— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 18, 2026
