Protests across Italy turned violent in Rome on Saturday, October 24, 2026, as demonstrators broke into the Colosseum area, clashed with police near the prime minister’s office route, and were met with water cannons and tear gas. Milan, by contrast, stayed largely peaceful despite soldiers patrolling its centre and luxury shops boarding up their windows. The unrest was part of a second weekend of protests sweeping Europe, and it followed a week of looting and street violence that had already put Italian cities on high alert.
What happened in Rome
Rome saw several different demonstrations through the day, involving groups from across the political spectrum. In the morning, far-right groups marched against last weekend’s unrest in Milan. In the afternoon, left-wing groups and students marched against war and imperialism.
The afternoon march ended peacefully, but trouble followed when young people who left the procession confronted security forces near the Colosseum. Reports differ on exactly how far they got: some accounts say a group forced open entrance gates, went inside the ancient amphitheatre and chanted slogans, while others say guards ushered the protesters out before they could get far. What is not in dispute is that the Colosseum became the flashpoint of the day in Rome.
Later in the evening, demonstrators tried to march towards the prime minister’s office but were stopped by a police barricade near Santa Susanna Square. While negotiations went on between police and protesters, some in the crowd threw bottles, fireworks and explosive devices at officers. Police answered with water cannons and, in places, batons. The crowd calmed briefly, then water cannons were used again after more explosive devices were thrown. One protester was seen injured, with blood on his head after being struck by an object. The demonstrators eventually changed route and left the area.
A separate anti-war march in central Rome also clashed briefly with police near Piazza della Repubblica, even as organisers tried to hold the crowd back. Protesters pulled back when a water cannon was turned on them and retreated about half a kilometre.
Police had detained 28 people in Rome early on Saturday as a preventive measure, after checks found balaclavas, gloves and masks in their possession. Security was also tightened around the Circus Maximus and Piazza del Popolo, and luxury shopping streets were locked down.
Milan stays peaceful under heavy guard
Milan saw the heaviest security operation of the day. Thousands of mostly young protesters marched through the city as soldiers and police lined the streets, drones watched from above, and rapid-response units stood ready. By late afternoon most shops had reopened, and the march ended peacefully outside the Milan Polytechnic, more than three kilometres from the city centre.
The precautions followed last weekend’s violence, when rioters smashed into stores around the Duomo square, targeting sneakers, athletic wear and sporting goods. Milan police say about 2,000 very young protesters were involved last week, and 45 people were arrested over two days, including 34 minors.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced an extra 500 soldiers for Milan, on top of hundreds already stationed there, supporting about 5,000 police and other security staff. Her government also announced tougher penalties for minors involved in violence. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said the soldiers were only recently allowed to use plastic restraint ties, and only around train stations, not across the city. They are not authorised to carry pepper spray or tasers.
Milan’s luxury boutiques, including Omega, Tiffany and Gucci, boarded up their windows, and the Apple store stayed shut even after other shops reopened. Protesters dumped manure outside Italy’s energy regulator and burned a symbolic oversized electricity bill to highlight energy costs. Pierfrancesco Majorino, a mayoral hopeful who joined the march, remarked on how peaceful the day had been.
Clashes in Turin and Bologna
Protests were also held in Naples, Bologna and Turin. Scuffles between protesters and police broke out at times in Bologna and Turin, where police used tear gas after demonstrators threw stones, bottles and smoke bombs at officers. The Turin clashes were briefer than Rome’s, and no city matched the scale of last weekend’s Milan violence.
Why Italians are protesting
The protests are driven by a mix of grievances rather than a single demand. Students and young people are angry about education funding and living costs, while others are protesting low wages, public services, military spending and government policy. The anti-war marches add opposition to war and imperialism to that list.
Officials say they are investigating a 30-year-old freelance journalist described as the mastermind of the newly formed October 17 movement, which has been the main driver of the recent protests in Italy. The movement’s name points to the date the current wave began gathering pace, and its role is now part of the official investigation into how the protests are organised.
Prime Minister Meloni thanked law enforcement officers in a post on X, saying they were working to ensure the safety of citizens and the right to peaceful protest, despite what she called violent groups trying to provoke clashes and disorder in Italy’s squares.
A second weekend of unrest across Europe
Italy was not alone. The same Saturday brought huge demonstrations across Europe, each with its own local cause but a shared backdrop of rising living costs and strained public services. In France, more than 400,000 people marched over school funding and living costs, with clashes in Paris and other cities — the story covered in our report on the France protests. In Albania, students demanding lower tuition fees clashed with riot police in Tirana, where government buildings were set on fire — the story covered in our report on the Albania protests. Thousands also marched peacefully in Madrid for public pensions and in Lisbon for affordable housing.
Timeline
- Last weekend (October 17–18, 2026): Violent protests and looting in Milan; 45 people arrested over two days, including 34 minors.
- Thursday, October 22, 2026: Pierfrancesco Majorino announces his Milan mayoral candidacy.
- Saturday, October 24, 2026, morning: Far-right groups march in Rome against last weekend’s Milan unrest; 28 people detained preventively in Rome.
- Saturday, October 24, 2026, afternoon: Left-wing and student march against war and imperialism in Rome; confrontation near the Colosseum; clashes near Piazza della Repubblica.
- Saturday, October 24, 2026, evening: Demonstrators blocked near Santa Susanna Square on the way to the prime minister’s office; water cannons used twice; crowd disperses.
- Saturday, October 24, 2026: Milan march ends peacefully outside Milan Polytechnic; scuffles in Turin and Bologna.
- Sunday, October 25, 2026: Meloni publicly thanks law enforcement; investigations continue into the October 17 movement.
Why it matters
The Rome clashes matter for two reasons. First, they show that Italy’s protest wave has not burned out after last weekend — it has spread from Milan to the capital and is drawing in groups from across the political spectrum, which makes it harder for the government to dismiss as the work of one faction. Second, the government’s response — soldiers on the streets, preventive detentions, tougher penalties for minors — is itself becoming part of the argument, with critics asking whether heavy security calms protests or inflames them. How the October 17 movement investigation unfolds, and whether Meloni’s government offers concessions on education and living costs, will shape whether next weekend is calmer or angrier.
What happens next
Italian authorities are expected to keep heightened security in place in Milan, Rome and Turin while investigations into last weekend’s violence and the October 17 movement continue. Student and union organisers have not announced a stand-down, and with similar protests continuing in France and Albania, further weekend demonstrations in Italy are likely. Any government response on education funding or energy costs will be watched closely as the next test of whether the protests ease.
Frequently asked questions
What happened at the Colosseum during the Italy protests?
A group of young demonstrators confronted security forces near the Colosseum in Rome on October 24, 2026. Some reports say they forced open gates, entered the amphitheatre and chanted slogans; others say guards ushered them out. The incident became the day’s most widely reported flashpoint in Rome.
Why are people protesting in Italy?
Protesters cite a mix of issues: education funding, rising living costs and energy prices, low wages, public services, military spending and government policy. Student groups and anti-war marchers have joined the same wave of demonstrations.
Was Milan violent on October 24?
No. Despite soldiers patrolling, shops boarding up and drone surveillance, Milan’s march on October 24 ended peacefully. The violence there happened the previous weekend, when rioters looted stores around the Duomo square.
How did police respond in Rome?
Police used water cannons, tear gas and batons in Rome after some protesters threw bottles, fireworks and explosive devices. They also detained 28 people preventively early on Saturday and set up barricades near Santa Susanna Square.
What is the October 17 movement?
It is a newly formed movement described by officials as the main driver of Italy’s recent protests. Authorities say they are investigating a 30-year-old freelance journalist described as its mastermind.
What did Giorgia Meloni say about the protests?
Meloni thanked law enforcement officers for protecting citizens and the right to peaceful protest, while blaming violent groups for trying to provoke clashes and disorder in Italy’s squares.
Related coverage
Read our report on the France protests that brought more than 400,000 people onto the streets the same weekend, and our report on the Albania protests in Tirana. You can also browse more stories in our World section.