Italy braces for cost-of-living protests in Rome and Milan under heavy security

Italy is preparing for another day of protests on Saturday against budget cuts and the high cost of living in eight cities, including Rome and Milan, with authorities deploying heavy security measures such as drones and helicopters to monitor the marches. Following last weekend's unrest, which included looting and rioting, security forces are saturating physical and virtual territory to safeguard the right to protest while ensuring compliance with the law. Extra soldiers will patrol Milan's city centre, though Mayor Giuseppe Sala encouraged shops to stay open and avoid panic. The "October 17 Movement" has called for protests at 1300 GMT, with locations revealed only 30 minutes beforehand, while an anti-war group also plans a rally in Rome. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government has adopted a security decree easing detention rules for minors and introducing a crime of "violent participation in a demonstration."