Police clash with protesters in Padua as Veneto rallies see scattered unrest

Protests across Veneto on Saturday saw clashes in Padua, where police used batons and water cannons against demonstrators near the train station, with several people detained. The anticipated "17 October" movement largely dissolved, though tensions remained high in the city. In Padua, protesters moved behind the station, throwing a bicycle from an overpass and setting off firecrackers, prompting police intervention. Four minors were stopped for carrying masks and firecrackers, while the movement's suspected organizer, a 30-year-old of Palestinian origins, was detained in Milan. Other rallies in Verona and Treviso proceeded peacefully. The protests were driven by grievances over fuel prices, war spending, and school funding, with shops across Padua boarding up windows in fear of unrest. A separate morning march by families and unions called for better school investment, while farmers and fishermen also voiced economic frustrations.