Students and workers rallied in dozens of Italian cities on Friday, with security tightened at landmarks after earlier unrest in Milan and a general strike called by the USB union.
Tens of thousands of students and workers marched in dozens of Italian cities on Friday, including Rome, Milan, Turin, Bologna, Genoa and Naples, according to Al Jazeera and Deutsche Welle. Demonstrators demanded more funding for schools and universities and relief from rising living costs, and many also criticised higher military spending. The USB trade union called a general strike, and truck drivers, taxi drivers and farmers joined the rallies. In Rome, thousands walked from Termini station past the Colosseum, some chanting that Italy needs "more houses, not bombs". Minor scuffles with riot police were reported at the start of the march in Turin, but no major clashes had been reported by midday, DW said.
Authorities deployed large numbers of police and stepped up protection around landmarks including the Colosseum and Milan's cathedral. The measures follow clashes on the weekend of 17-18 October in Milan, when groups of mainly young people looted shops and smashed windows. After that unrest, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government toughened rules on public gatherings and eased restrictions on the detention of minors, Al Jazeera reported. The protests also follow weeks of school occupations and student tent camps, and DW noted that the movement has drawn momentum from similar protests in France and Spain. Unions in Italy issued a joint call with counterparts in France, Greece, Spain, Turkey and Morocco to end the wars in the Middle East and the use of ports for weapons transport.
The government has responded with economic measures. Last week it agreed a 175 million euro aid package for truck drivers, farmers and fishermen hit by higher fuel prices linked to the Middle East war, and the draft 2027 budget includes an annual 2,500 euro bonus for workers under 30. Meloni said she hoped the steps would answer young people who feel the state does not care about them, but stressed they were not meant for those who smash windows. Al Jazeera cited figures that prices for food, energy, transport and bills in Italy have risen 68 percent since 2000 while the average wage has fallen by almost 5 percent; the source of that calculation was not given. Student Beatrice Chilelli told AFP that students were at a breaking point over tuition fees and rent. The budget is still being negotiated among the governing parties.
