Tens of thousands of Italians took to the streets against rising prices and rearmament / Animal excrement was scattered in front of Turin City Hall

Tens of thousands of workers, pupils, students, and parents took part on Friday in demonstrations organized in dozens of cities across Italy, as part of a general strike called by the USB trade union. The protests target the cost-of-living crisis, war, rearmament, and the policies of the government led by Giorgia Meloni.

Marches took place in Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin, Venice, and Palermo, under the watch of a significant security presence. Authorities stepped up checks to prevent a repeat of the violence at protests in previous weeks. In Rome, security was increased around the Colosseum, while in Milan it was reinforced around the Duomo.

Students and trade unions denounce rising rents, bills, and prices of basic goods, while wages are losing their purchasing power. They also criticize job insecurity, temporary contracts, and the deterioration of public services.

The demonstrations were also accompanied by incidents. In Naples and Padua, photographs of government members were set on fire, while in Turin, containers filled with manure were overturned in front of the city hall. Clashes broke out between demonstrators and police in the same city. Protesters were asked not to wear hoods or protective helmets. The action coincides with an international mobilization of dockworkers in more than 40 European and Mediterranean ports, against the arms trade and the militarization of infrastructure.

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