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Nationwide protests against the rising cost of living are expected in Italy and France on Saturday 24 October. Authorities and business owners fear a repeat of what happened on 17 and 18 October, when hundreds of people were involved in violent incidents targeting shops and law enforcement.
Protests are planned in several Italian cities, including Milan, Bologna, Genoa, Turin, Rome and Florence. According to "Mappa della rivolta", a website that collates protest initiatives, more than 30 mobilisations are scheduled, ranging from marches and sit-ins to assemblies and strikes.
The capital will be under tight security for the occasion. Rome's police headquarters has drawn up a security plan to manage both notified demonstrations and spontaneous rallies announced online. In addition to the usual units deployed to handle protests, drones from the State Police's 1st Flight Department and aircraft from the Carabinieri will also be used. In all, around 1,500 officers will be deployed, with checks stretching from city squares to railway stations.
Tactical advice on how to deal with police clashes on social media
Rome's Cybersecurity Centre is also operational, monitoring posts and activities on social media in coordination with Digos, the specialized operational division of the Italian State Police.
The digital dimension is making it harder to manage the protests. On Telegram, TikTok and Instagram, guides on how to prepare for clashes are circulating. Advice ranges from bringing water, painkillers and vinegar to lessen the effects of tear gas, to guidance on what to wear and how to behave if disorder breaks out.
In Milan, there will be around one thousand police officers and Carabinieri, 300 municipal officers and 500 soldiers deployed following the latest government security decree. Here too, drones will be used to monitor the marches. Authorised demonstrations will take place away from the Duomo, while protests are banned in the Garibaldi and Porta Venezia districts.
In Turin, a demonstration is expected that has been organised by activists from the antagonista scene linked to the former Askatasuna social centre, together with members of the 17 October Movement and students. Marches are due to start at 2 p.m. in Piazza Arbarello.
Following the unrest on 17 October, on Friday Digos carried out searches targeting around 100 people, 51 of whom were minors. Operations took place in several cities, including Bari, Bergamo, Florence, Genoa and Verona.