Milan's luxury shops close as government prepares to deploy 500 troops
Italy's government has announced plans to deploy 500 army troops to defend Milan following two consecutive days of violent unrest, property destruction, and clashes between demonstrators and police.
Italy's government has announced plans to deploy 500 army troops to defend Milan following two consecutive days of violent unrest, property destruction, and clashes between demonstrators and police.
Police detained 271 young people in Milan following Sunday's chaos, making 32 formal arrests—23 of which involved minors—as similar demonstrations broke out across northern Italian cities including Turin, Bologna, Bergamo, and Brescia.
High-end luxury stores along Milan's famous Via Montenapoleone, such as Chanel, Tiffany, and Dior, cleared merchandise from display windows on Monday and closed early after major retail outlets like Decathlon and Vodafone were looted.
The riots originally began as peaceful protests regarding poor public services and rising living costs, mirroring recent violent economic demonstrations in neighboring France.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni chaired a security meeting to draft a firm response to the violence, which is expected to include a cabinet proposal targeting minor violence and youth gang activity through expanded preventive detention.
