Italian police use tear gas and water cannons on protesters in Milan and Bologna

Italian police used tear gas and water cannons against protesters in Milan and Bologna during cost-of-living demonstrations, prompting Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to condemn the violence. Clashes injured several people and led to arrests. In Milan, police fired tear gas after protesters threw stones near the Gothic cathedral, while Bologna officers deployed a water cannon and made seven arrests. Meloni stated on X that demonstrating is a right, but turning cities into battlegrounds is not, ahead of next year's election. The unrest mirrored violent protests in France, where tens of thousands demonstrated over rising costs and declining public services. Milan's Duomo metro station closed and shops shuttered as tourists fled the central area during the clashes.