Italy to send 500 troops to Milan after clashes

ROME – Italy is preparing to send 500 troops to Milan after looting and clashes between the police and mostly young protesters, with some luxury brands shutting their shops in the city.A Cabinet meeting on Oct 20 is expected to give the go-ahead to the deployment and approve policing powers for soldiers temporarily supporting law enforcement in the city.Hundreds of protesters were detained during two days of clashes in Milan on Oct 17 and Oct 18, and dozens of police officers were injured.Several shops in the fashion hub were looted. Some shops this week have remained closed or removed window displays and beefed up security.More protests are expected on Oct 24.The government is also considering a wider crackdown, including restrictions on public gatherings, easing rules on detention for minors and harsher sanctions for their parents.Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini called the clashes “shameful” and said on RTL 102.5 radio that the Cabinet meeting would announce a series of “immediate measures” including the troop deployment.Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said on Oct 19 that he hoped the Cabinet meeting would approve provisions for the army “to allow them to act like law enforcement”.Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Oct 17 said the violent perpetrators were “thugs who exploit demonstrations to spread chaos, attack those who guarantee security, and hold entire cities hostage”.“To demonstrate is a right. To lay our cities to waste is not,” she wrote on social media platform X.High school and university students, farmers and truck drivers are leading nationwide protests in Italy, mainly against the rising cost of living.Far-right leader Meloni faces elections in 2027 in which the state of the economy, security and immigration are likely to be the key issues. AFP