Milan deploys 1,400 police and soldiers to prevent weekend riots; mayor urges shops to stay open

Milan is on maximum alert with over 1,400 police officers and soldiers deployed to prevent another weekend of urban guerrilla violence, while Mayor Beppe Sala urges shopkeepers to keep their businesses open despite fears of looting. Preventive checkpoints are set up at train stations across Lombardy from morning, with tight controls around Piazza Duomo and identification hubs for minors, as no official demonstrations are planned in the city center. Several shops, including the historic Rinascente, have announced early closures, and some have boarded up windows for protection. The security plan includes 400 paratroopers from the Folgore brigade, a task force of 10 prosecutors, and a ban on afternoon protests in central Milan. An investigation into last weekend's riots has already identified dozens of suspects from thousands of hours of video footage.