Rome Protests End in Police Clash
Demonstrators in Rome clashed with police on Saturday after trying to march on the prime minister’s office. The confrontation closed a day of protests across Italy that also reached Naples, Bologna and Turin.
Police blocked the march near Santa Susanna Square in the evening. Talks between officers and protesters continued for some time. Then some demonstrators threw bottles, fireworks and explosive devices at security forces. Police answered with water cannons and, in some places, batons.
The situation calmed briefly. Police used water cannons again after demonstrators resumed throwing explosive devices. One protester was seen injured, with blood covering his head after being struck by an object. The demonstrators eventually changed their route and left the area after realising police would not allow them to pass.
Rome Protests Through the Day
The day began with separate demonstrations across the capital. In the morning, far-right groups protested against last weekend’s demonstrations in Milan, which were marked by unrest. In the afternoon, left-wing groups and students took part in a march against “war and imperialism”.
That march ended peacefully. However, young people who left the procession later confronted security forces near the Colosseum. Tensions did not escalate after the students changed their route. The unauthorised march continued for some time at various locations around the Colosseum. A group of demonstrators also entered the ancient amphitheatre and chanted slogans.
Italian media reported that security forces detained 28 people early on Saturday as a preventive measure ahead of the demonstrations in Rome. Authorities had stepped up security in cities ahead of the protests. Following last weekend’s unrest in Milan, 500 soldiers were deployed to Milan’s city centre, and shop windows were covered with wooden boards.
Rome Protests Spread to Other Cities
Protests about the rising cost of living and against the government were also held in Naples, Bologna and Turin, in addition to Rome and Milan. Media reports said scuffles between protesters and police broke out at times in Bologna and Turin. Although tensions flared between demonstrators and security forces at times on Saturday, the unrest did not escalate further.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni thanked law enforcement officers in a post on the social media platform X. She said officers had worked to ensure the safety of citizens and the right to peaceful protest, despite attempts by some violent groups to provoke clashes and disorder.
The Rome clashes fit a wider pattern of street protests in Europe this month. Feature Pakistan reported on France deploying 70,000 police to try to contain nationwide protests, and on cost-of-living protests in Milan that drew a meeting with Prime Minister Meloni. In Italy, the cost of living remains a central grievance, and the government now faces protests from both the far right and the left, each with different targets but a shared willingness to take to the streets.
What Happens Next in Italy
No new nationwide protest date has been announced in the reporting so far. The immediate question is whether the heavy security presence stays in place in Rome and Milan, and whether the preventive detentions lead to charges. For now, the streets have calmed, but the grievances behind the marches have not gone away.
Why did police block the march in Rome?
Police stopped demonstrators from marching to the prime minister’s office after an evening push towards Santa Susanna Square. Talks failed, some protesters threw bottles and fireworks, and officers used water cannons and batons to hold the barricade.
How many people were detained?
Italian media reported 28 preventive detentions early on Saturday ahead of the demonstrations in Rome. The reports describe the detentions as a preventive step, not as arrests linked to specific charges.
Did protests take place outside Rome?
Yes. Protests were also held in Naples, Bologna and Turin, as well as Milan. Scuffles between protesters and police were reported at times in Bologna and Turin.
Related coverage: Milan cost-of-living protests draw Meloni meeting, France deploys 70,000 police for weekend protests, Protesters clash with police over dam project in India, France curfews in Paris, Lyon and Lille amid unrest.
