Italy protests draw thousands amid heavy security and arrests

Thousands protested across Italy on Saturday under heavy security, with police arresting nine people and briefly detaining 371 others, including 110 minors, amid a government crackdown following violent clashes last weekend. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's hard-right government approved tough security measures this week, deploying 500 soldiers to Milan and easing detention rules for minors. Several thousand marched in Milan and Rome, where some protesters briefly broke into the Colosseum, while Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi defended police actions. The demonstrations are part of wider protests by students, truck drivers and farmers over cost-of-living issues, with student groups urging cuts to military spending in favour of education. Truck blockades that had paralysed southern Italy for a week have been lifted.