Italy sends 500 troops to Milan after protests turn violent

Italy will deploy 500 army troops to Milan after two days of unrest saw demonstrators clash with police, loot shops, and vandalize property, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini announced Monday. The deployment is expected to be approved at a cabinet meeting Tuesday. Shops in Milan's luxury Via Montenapoleone district, including Chanel and Dior, removed merchandise and boarded windows as a precaution. Several hundred hooded protesters, many believed to be minors, set bins ablaze and looted stores like Decathlon and Vodafone after an initially peaceful Saturday demonstration over poor public services and rising costs. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, facing a national election next year, condemned the violence and met with security chiefs Monday. Police detained 271 young people Sunday, arresting 32, while considering extending preventive detention for minors and cracking down on youth gangs. Unrest also hit other northern cities including Bologna and Turin.