It began as demonstration against the high cost of living, against wages that were becoming increasingly inadequate in the face of rising inflation, against rising gas prices, and against cuts to public services. But on Saturday, the protests turned into a battle that wreaked havoc in Milan’s Piazza Duomo, with clashes also breaking out in Turin and Bologna, as well as in Paris and countless French cities as far as Limoges, where its city hall was vandalized.
La Stampa reports that starting Friday, a flyer circulated on social media, Telegram, and TikTok, reading: “Everyone to the Square—National Protest.” Reports indicate that several hundred protesters followed that directive, arriving in downtown Milan and, eventually, clashing with police.
According to officials, a faction of the protesters released smoke bombs and firecrackers, and overturned tables and chairs in public areas. Trash cans and cobblestones from the square were allegedly thrown, and a construction site behind the Duomo was reportedly set on fire.
