Italy to Deploy 500 Additional Troops in Milan after Looting

The Italian government has decided to deploy 500 additional troops to Milan to protect the city from further looting and violence following two days of unrest in which shops were ransacked, police officers was injured and hundreds of people were detained. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, leader of the right-wing League party, announced the deployment on Monday. In Italy’s financial capital, luxury boutiques responded to fears of renewed unrest by closing their doors and removing merchandise from display windows. Salvini wrote on social media that the government was moving from words to action by sending 500 more troops to defend Milan.

The announcement came after an emergency security meeting chaired by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose government is preparing tougher measures against violent protesters and youth gangs. The unrest began over the weekend during demonstrations against rising living costs and deteriorating public services. Initially peaceful rallies escalated into clashes when hundreds of masked youths attacked police, set up and burned barricades, and looted shops around Milan’s central Piazza del Duomo.

Riot police used tear gas and water cannons against demonstrators who threw bottles and other objects. Businesses targeted included Decathlon, Arc’teryx and Vodafone, while other shopkeepers boarded up their damaged storefronts. Police detained 271 people on Sunday alone, with 32 formally arrested. Those detained included 23 minors and 13 foreign nationals. Another 28 people were referred to judicial authorities. According to Italy’s ANSA news agency, 14 police officers were injured.

Local prosecutors described the violence as exceptionally destructive. Broken windows, vandalism and stolen merchandise caused damage estimated at more than €1 million, excluding lost sales. On Monday, luxury retailers including Chanel, Hermès and Pomellato kept their stores closed, while other high-end shops cleared their display windows amid fears of further attacks. Salvini accused the rioters of deliberately seeking potentially deadly confrontations with police, arguing that economic hardship could not justify the violence. He said the unrest was not a matter of social distress. He called for tougher legislation that would allow minors to be placed in preventive detention and arrests to be made on the basis of video evidence of looting.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also promised a firm response. Reports indicate that the government could fast-track measures targeting violent youth gangs. Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala described the destruction as unacceptable and unjustifiable, warning that tensions had not yet subsided. The unrest in Italy comes amid a wider wave of violent protests across Europe, particularly in neighbouring France, where demonstrations over rising prices, deteriorating public services and government spending cuts have escalated into widespread disorder.

French authorities reported approximately 2,400 arrests over the weekend, along with hundreds of looted businesses and public buildings set on fire. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced localised curfews on Monday, while President Emmanuel Macron faces mounting criticism over the government’s failure to contain the violence