Italian protests draw thousands; police arrest 9, detain 371

Thousands of people protested across Italy on Saturday, with police arresting nine and briefly detaining 371 others, including 110 minors, amid a massive security crackdown following violent clashes last week. The protests, which drew several thousand marchers in Milan and a similar number in Rome, saw some demonstrators briefly enter the Colosseum. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi praised police for containing "violent fringes," while Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government had approved tough security measures and deployed 500 soldiers to Milan. The demonstrations, led by student groups and joined by truck drivers and farmers, focus on cost-of-living issues like housing and fuel prices. Authorities also arrested a man linked to the "October 17 Movement" that called for the protests, while truck blockades that had paralyzed southern Italy have been lifted.