Rome: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni issued a firm condemnation of violent demonstrations across several major cities, declaring that while peaceful protest is fundamental to democratic society, political violence and destruction will not be tolerated.
In a statement posted on X addressing recent nationwide rallies, Meloni drew a sharp contrast between peaceful demonstrators and violent agitators who turned city streets into scenes of unrest.
“I have great respect for the thousands of people who today demonstrated peacefully, including those who took part in the mobilisation called by the CGIL, which also saw the participation of left-wing leaders,” Meloni said. “Whatever the ideas for which one demonstrates, participation is the foundation of any healthy democracy.”
The Prime Minister emphasised that law enforcement officials were confronted with direct aggression and destruction in several urban centres, forcing authorities to take emergency measures, noting that such actions can not go unnoticed.
“On the other hand, however, we cannot ignore what happened in other Italian squares,” Meloni stated. “In Milan, as these images show, stones were thrown at the Law Enforcement Forces, officers were injured, and damage and violence occurred that forced the interruption of the procession. In Turin, people were stopped carrying cobblestones and window-breaking hammers. In Bologna, the disorders led to the precautionary closure of the railway station.”
Meloni sharply criticised those responsible for the destruction, describing them as “thugs who exploit demonstrations to sow chaos, attack those who ensure security, and hold entire cities hostage.”
Drawing a clear distinction between the right to protest and acts of violence, she said, “Demonstrating is a right. Setting our cities ablaze is not.”
Turning to opposition political parties, Meloni urged rival leaders to take an explicit, unambiguous stance against street violence, warning that failing to do so undermines public safety and law enforcement.
“I renew my request to the opposition: do not be ambiguous about this,” Meloni said. “Unequivocally condemn these acts of violence and issue a clear appeal for every mobilisation to be peaceful.”
She concluded by calling for political unity across party lines in rejecting political violence.
“In the face of scenes like these, the rejection must be unanimous. Any hesitation becomes justification. Silence is not acceptable," she wrote.
Meloni's remarks come as widespread protests against the rising cost of living turned violent across several major Italian cities on Saturday, as demonstrations organised by the "Italy in the Square" committee devolved into severe clashes, mass detentions, and property destruction, Italian broadcaster Rai News reported.
Drawing more than 5,000 participants in Milan alone, the national student-led mobilisation was called to protest soaring inflation, low wages, underfunded public healthcare, and deteriorating conditions in public schools, while voicing broader opposition to current government policies.
The worst of the unrest erupted in Milan, where conditions in Piazza Duomo deteriorated into scenes described by Rai News as "urban warfare." Violent agitators smashed storefront windows, set a nearby construction site on fire, and launched pyrotechnics at State Police officers along Via Broletto.
Riot police responded with multiple charges to contain the crowd after protesters attempted to breach security cordons, resulting in approximately 12 hospitalisations and the detention of around 50 individuals taken to police headquarters for processing.
In Bologna, clashes centred on the city's main transit hub after a breakaway faction of hooded youths targeted the central railway station in Piazza Medaglie d'Oro. Demonstrators hurled stones, glass bottles, smoke bombs, and metal barriers at law enforcement lines while knocking over dozens of public rental bicycles.
Police and Carabinieri, equipped with full riot gear, deployed water cannons and tear gas to block access to the station and disperse the crowds, detaining at least seven individuals following the confrontation, Rai News reported.
Similar nationwide rallies against the skyrocketing cost of living were carried out across France, where intense clashes also broke out between security forces and demonstrators in Paris and several other cities.
As detailed by France 24, anger was directed heavily at Macron and his administration. Citing Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, France24 reported that around 550,000 people took part in the protests across France, adding that the French police have arrested around 400 people.