Italian police used tear gas and water cannon against protesters in Milan and Bologna on Saturday as demonstrations over rising living costs turned violent. Clashes outside Milan’s Gothic cathedral left several people reportedly injured, while police made multiple arrests.
In Milan, officers in riot gear confronted hooded protesters who threw stones and other objects in the square outside the cathedral. Police also moved to clear demonstrators from the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a luxury shopping arcade beside the square. The unrest disrupted the city centre as shops lowered their shutters and tourists fled the area.
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Authorities also closed the central Duomo metro station during the clashes. Italian media reported several injuries and multiple arrests, although officials did not immediately provide a full account of the incidents.
Meanwhile, police in Bologna used water cannon to disperse crowds after another cost-of-living demonstration turned violent. The ANSA news agency reported that officers arrested seven people in the northern Italian city.
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The unrest came as demonstrations over rising living costs and declining public services also spread across neighbouring France. Tens of thousands of people took to French streets on Saturday, where protests developed into some of the country’s most violent unrest in years.