Tens of Thousands March Across Italy in Nationwide Strike Over Living Costs and Military Spending

Tens of thousands of people, mostly students and workers, took to the streets across Italy on Friday to demand higher wages and stronger public services, to protest the rising cost of living and to oppose increased military spending, Reuters reported.

The grassroots union Unione Sindacale di Base called a 24-hour general strike, with protests planned in more than 40 cities, according to Reuters. CNN reported that mass demonstrations took place in more than 50 cities and that the largest rallies were in Milan, Turin and Rome, where crowds vented anger at Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her right-wing government.

In Rome, a large march passed near the Colosseum, where protesters said they planned to set up tents and remain over the weekend, Reuters reported. Some rubbish bins were placed across streets and set on fire. In the evening, a large group tried to march toward parliament, and police used water cannon to disperse the crowd, Italian news agency ANSA reported. Eight people were detained after repeatedly trying to break through police barricades, ANSA said.

In Milan, protesters marched onto the city ring road before ending the march in front of the Politecnico di Milano university, Reuters reported. Demonstrators carried flares and set fire to objects. CNN reported that demonstrators in Milan held placards with anti-government slogans, and that in Naples some protesters burnt photos of Meloni.

Genoa port workers join the protest

Around 15,000 port workers, students and other demonstrators entered the port of Genoa, Reuters reported, joining similar protests in Europe and elsewhere against the use of ports for arms shipments. The protesters also pointed to the deaths of seafarers in conflicts from the Gulf to the Black Sea. CNN reported that dockworkers in Genoa mobilized against the militarization of the port in a bid to block the export of Italian-made arms shipments to conflict zones, including Israel.

In Turin, police used a water cannon to push back students and left-wing activists who approached security cordons protecting the prefecture building, Reuters reported. The demonstrations came after clashes earlier in October in which protesters fought with police, looted shops and vandalized property. Friday’s demonstrations were largely peaceful, although tensions flared in some areas, Reuters reported. CNN reported that Italy’s Interior Ministry said preventative arrests were made ahead of the marches.

A wider wave across Europe

Reuters reported that a wave of protests has swept across European countries including France, Spain, Belgium and Albania, driven by grievances that include the cost of living. CNN reported that demonstrations in France began in late September with teachers and students protesting a lack of investment in education and poor working conditions, and that a housing crisis has set off demonstrations across Spain and Portugal.

Transport workers had been slated to join the pickets in Italy too, CNN reported, but abandoned plans after Transport Minister Matteo Salvini threatened the sector with sanctions. The union urged taxi drivers to go ahead with strikes, despite them receiving a similar warning, CNN reported.

Reporting based on coverage by Reuters and CNN.