Protesters storm Rome’s Colosseum as clashes hit cities across Italy

On Saturday afternoon, a group of young protesters got into Rome’s Colosseum despite the presence of security forces. According to Italian media, the demonstrators got past secured entrances and reached an area where tourists normally walk; security staff at the landmark then pushed them out.

Tension was also high near government buildings: protesters tried to continue their march toward them and threw bottles at police officers. The security forces responded with water cannons, tear gas and police action against the crowd. Before the protests even began, police took 43 young people to police stations in the capital after finding balaclavas, gloves and masks on them, among other items, during checks.

Clashes across Italy

Demonstrations were also held in Milan, Turin, Bologna and Florence. In Milan, more than ten thousand people took to the streets, and some of the protesters clashed with police near Corso Venezia, where luxury-brand boutiques are located. In Turin, demonstrators threw stones, bottles and fireworks at police officers. In Bologna, they built barricades, set garbage bins on fire and damaged a cigarette vending machine.

The authorities had been preparing for a new wave of unrest after the violence and looting that hit mainly Milan last weekend. The government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stepped up security measures, sending 500 more soldiers to Milan, while police carried out extensive checks.

Searches and investigation

In connection with the violence of Oct. 17, police carried out more than 150 house searches in Milan, Monza and about twenty other cities. Investigators also focused on 30-year-old Youssef Siher, the alleged administrator of the Instagram and Telegram accounts of the Movimento 17 Ottobre (October 17 Movement). According to Italian media, he is under investigation on suspicion of inciting crime.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz