Italian police clash with protesters in Milan and Bologna
Italian police fired tear gas in Milan on Saturday after protesters threw stones near the Gothic cathedral, with separate clashes in Bologna during cost-of-living protests, Italian media reported. In Bologna, police used a water cannon and made seven arrests after the protest turned violent, according to ANSA. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence, saying demonstrating is a right but turning cities into battlegrounds is not. In Milan, riot police cleared hooded protesters from the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade, shops shut down, and the Duomo metro station closed amid reported injuries and arrests. The unrest echoed violent protests in France over rising costs and declining public services.