Italy tightens security as students and unions protest
Increased security as tens of thousands of students and union members marched in dozens of cities over living costs, education spending and wars in the Middle…
Italy tightened security as tens of thousands of students and union members marched across the country on Friday, protesting high living costs, calling for investment in education and demanding an end to wars in the Middle East. The demonstrations reached dozens of cities, including Rome, Milan and Naples.
The protests put pressure on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s hard-right government as it sought to contain potential unrest. Police increased their presence around prominent sites, including the Colosseum in Rome and Milan’s cathedral.
Security was heightened. A few clashes between protesters and riot police broke out at the start of a demonstration in Turin, while rallies also took place in Bologna and Genoa.
The demonstrations drew truck drivers, taxi drivers and farmers, alongside students and union members. The USB trade union called a general strike, while recent rallies have also demanded action on rising fuel prices and defence spending.
The immediate stakes extend beyond the streets: protesters are challenging a squeeze on household budgets while pressing the government to prioritize education and limit military spending. The government has already agreed to a 175 million euro ($195 million) aid package for truck drivers, farmers and fishermen affected by soaring fuel prices linked to the war in the Middle East.
Why are students and unions protesting?
Demonstrators are protesting rising living costs, seeking more investment in education and calling for an end to wars in the Middle East, including the war in Gaza. Unions from Italy, France, Greece, Spain, Turkiye and Morocco also jointly called for an end to what they described as the militarisation of ports.
“Ports must not be used for the transport of weapons, ammunition, military equipment and troops,” the joint statement said. “Dockworkers do not work for war!”
The cost-of-living concerns are backed by figures cited in the report: prices paid in Italy for food, energy, transport and bills have risen by 68 percent since 2000, while the average wage has fallen by almost 5 percent.
The government is also discussing support measures for young people and families in a draft 2027 budget. They include an annual bonus of 2,500 euros for workers under 30.
“I hope this can provide answers for young people in general… who feel that the state doesn’t care about them,” Meloni said at a news conference on Wednesday. She stressed the measures were “not for those who smash windows”.
Her comments followed clashes in Milan over the weekend of October 17-18, when groups of mainly young people looted shops and smashed windows. After those incidents, Meloni tightened laws on public gatherings and eased restrictions on detaining minors.
The demonstrations now bring those tensions into a nationwide protest, with a general strike and demands over both household costs and Italy’s role in the region’s wars. The draft budget under discussion includes the proposed 2,500 euro annual bonus for workers under 30.
