Following violent weekend clashes and widespread retail looting in Milan and other northern cities during cost-of-living protests, the Italian government announced plans to dispatch 500 army troops and approve emergency security measures, including tighter restrictions on minors and youth gangs.
What began as anti-government demonstrations over inflation, public services, and living costs quickly deteriorated into urban unrest across several Italian cities on October 17 and 18, 2026. In Milan, hundreds of masked individuals converged near the historic Piazza del Duomo, targeting luxury boutiques, department stores, and public property.
The disturbances echoed similar youth-led unrest in neighbouring European nations, leaving storefronts damaged and police deploying tear gas and water cannons to clear the streets. Confcommercio Milano estimated initial damages to central shops at more than 700,000 euros, a figure that climbed as businesses tallied structural destruction and lost revenue from forced early closures.
Sportswear chains, supermarkets, and boutiques across the city were targeted during the unrest. High-traffic shopping locations, including Duomo Square, San Babila Square, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, Via Torino, and the Brera district, all experienced disruptions. Luxury storefronts along Via Montenapoleone saw merchandise removed as a precaution.
Among the well-known businesses targeted in the city center were Decathlon, Arc’teryx, Vodafone, Levi’s, Under Armour, Foot Locker, and Birkenstock. A Feltrinelli bookstore and a McDonald’s outlet were also impacted during the disturbances, while a Rinascente department store window was struck.
In the financial capital’s luxury shopping district along Via Montenapoleone, high-end retailers such as Chanel, Tiffany, and Dior removed merchandise from display windows.
Italian police reported detaining 271 young people during the Milanese unrest on Sunday alone, with police sources indicating that around 80% of those stopped were minors. Authorities arrested 32 individuals, including 23 minors and 13 foreign nationals, while referring another 28 people to judicial authorities.
The violence was not confined to Milan. Demonstrations organized by groups like the Italia in Piazza
movement stalled near Via San Tomaso before cascading into direct confrontations with law enforcement. Protesters hurled paving stones, firecrackers, and bar tables at officers.
Domenico Pianese, general secretary of the Coisp police union, reported that violent groups attacked officers with stones and barriers in Piazza Duomo. Demonstrators also vandalized and looted a Carabinieri vehicle and damaged armored vans before holding the square behind barricades.
In Bologna, clashes erupted near the central railway station around Piazza Medaglie d’Oro, prompting authorities to close the station temporarily as a precaution. Police deployed water cannons after protesters threw stones and overturned public bike-share bicycles. In Turin, very young demonstrators targeted police guarding Porta Nuova station with bottles and stones, while disturbances were also reported in Bergamo and Brescia, resulting in 28 arrests following Saturday’s confrontations.
To demonstrate is a right. To lay our cities to waste is not.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, via BBC
Prime Minister Meloni condemned the violence, asserting that hooligans
had exploited peaceful demonstrations to sow chaos.
Proposed legislative changes under consideration include extending preventive detention for minors, restricting gatherings associated with youth groups, and establishing surprise checkpoints to prevent criminal elements from entering major urban centers.
