Students, students and workers took to the streets in over 60 Italian cities to protest the high cost of living, rising fuel and energy prices, high rents and the cost of rearmament. Marches took place from Turin and Trieste to Milan, Rome, Naples and Palermo as part of a nationwide strike called by the grassroots union USB.
The protests also included pensioners, farmers, drivers, health care representatives and housing rights movements. The demonstrators demanded more funds for schools and universities, healthcare, social services and affordable housing.
Estimates of the scale of the mobilization differ significantly. The USB said that over a million people turned out in different cities, and in a subsequent estimate it also indicated 1.5 million participants. The Italian Interior Ministry reported 255,000 people. The differences are also visible at the local level: in Rome the union spoke of 100,000 participants, in Naples - over 30,000, and in Milan the organizers indicated 100,000, with an estimate of around 30,000, quoted by ANSA.
Rents, bills and salaries at the center of the discontent
The student organizations „Knowledge Network“, „University Coordination Link“ and the “Students' Union“ said that rising rents, utilities and basic goods are making daily living increasingly difficult, while incomes are losing their purchasing power.
“We can no longer accept that the costs of the crises are constantly being passed on to our lives,“ the organisations said.In Bari, pupils, students, researchers and young workers demanded investment in education and research. They also demanded more funding for scholarships, better public transport and measures to combat the high costs of education and housing. In Palermo, protesters also protested against the prices of basic goods, rent and bills, demanding that the state allocate more funds to schools and healthcare.
Tensions in Rome and Turin
Most of the marches ended without serious incidents, but clashes occurred in Rome and Turin. In the capital, a separate group broke away from the main march near the Colosseum, threw objects at police and set fire to containers. Water cannons were later used near Trastevere and Testaccio. ANSA reported eight arrests while trying to break through police cordons.
In Turin, water cannons and tear gas were used after protesters approached the police cordon outside the prefecture. In Mestre, seven police officers were injured, while in Vicenza, ten people were injured among demonstrators and law enforcement officers.
“The right of citizens to protest peacefully was guaranteed despite some violent participants“, said Interior Minister Matteo Piantedozzi. In Trieste, where the march gathered around 4,500 people according to ANSA, the protest ended peacefully.
The strike also affected the ports. Students and workers joined an international initiative against the arms trade and the use of port infrastructure for military operations. In Genoa and Naples, protesters entered the port areas without reports of serious violations.
Sources: ansa.it, rainews.it