PM Meloni convenes emergency meeting to authorize military deployment

More than 200 arrested as unrest spreads

Protesters run through debris-strewn streets in Milan, Italy, on Sunday (local time), as demonstrations against the state of public services and rising living costs turned violent. [Reuters]
Protesters run through debris-strewn streets in Milan, Italy, on Sunday (local time), as demonstrations against the state of public services and rising living costs turned violent. [Reuters]

The Italian government has decided to deploy military troops to Milan in response to violent protests and looting that swept the city over the weekend.

Italy will station 500 soldiers in Milan to restore order, Yonhap and the Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported Tuesday (local time). Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni convened an emergency security meeting that day and authorized the deployment. The government plans to issue the relevant decree in the coming days.

Corriere della Sera reported that the government had finalized plans to reinforce its "Safe Streets" operation by immediately deploying additional troops to Milan. Local media noted that the operation, which places soldiers alongside police on the ground, marks a significant expansion of the Ministry of National Defense's role in public-order enforcement.

The government is also considering assigning additional roles and duties to the deployed troops, as well as imposing movement restrictions in parts of the city center. Officials are also discussing extending preventive detention — the pre-emptive jailing of individuals deemed a potential threat — to minors under 18, in addition to adults. About 80 percent of those detained over the weekend on charges including vandalism were minors.

The unrest began when anti-government demonstrations over rising prices and deteriorating public services turned violent over the weekend, leading to the arrest of more than 200 people. On Monday, most shops in central Milan shuttered their display windows early and closed ahead of schedule.

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto described the violence as "a kind of hybrid war waged against the state through non-traditional means such as social media."

Disruptions to the supply of essential goods are also mounting as truck drivers continue to strike over rising fuel costs. Italian pasta maker Rummo said Tuesday it had halted pasta production due to a shortage of raw materials.


eyre@heraldcorp.com