Eight Cities Brace for Rallies as Italy Sends Troops and Raids Suspects

Italy is deploying soldiers to major cities and conducting raids on suspected looters ahead of planned rallies in eight locations on Saturday. The demonstrations are being organized against the right-wing government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the rising cost of living. This mobilization follows a protest held in Milan last week that escalated into clashes with police and widespread looting.

A recently formed group calling itself the October 17 Movement announced the new round of events online. Working alongside student federations, grassroots unions, and antiwar coalitions, the group has played a central role in driving the demonstrations. On Instagram, the group stated that it views the current administration as authoritarian and wrote, "Those who deny our future are truly violent."

In response to last week's disorder in Milan, the government announced new security measures. This included sending 500 soldiers to the city, which serves as Italy's financial hub. On Friday, police in several cities carried out raids and searches targeting individuals suspected of rioting and looting. According to the news agency Adnkronos, officers conducted a further 150 raids on Saturday morning within the northern region of Lombardy.

While some participants have expressed a desire to remain peaceful, others have stated there is no distinction between peaceful and violent protesters. Organizers have kept the specific locations of the demonstrations secret until the last minute, with three meeting points expected to be announced on social media on Saturday afternoon. Police told Al Jazeera they have located and are questioning the administrator of the movement's Instagram page. The daily Corriere della Sera reported that the individual is a 30-year-old Italian-Moroccan journalist and researcher who is under investigation on suspicion of "inciting crimes."

The demographics of the arrests from last Sunday's protest show a significant youth involvement. Of the 271 people detained, 220 were under 18. The Corriere della Sera reported that some minors joined the events after being unexpectedly added to a Telegram group. One individual quoted in the report said they were told to raise chaos and could take a lot of goods.

Legal representatives for those detained describe a lack of clear intent among some young participants. Lawyer Michele D'Agostino, who is defending a 21-year-old and a 15-year-old, told Al Jazeera that the younger client "didn't even know the reasons behind the protest; he had just seen it on TikTok and decided to check it out with a friend." He added that while the teenager was not among the looters, he did not grasp the seriousness of the situation.

Authorities are attributing the involvement of minors to digital platforms. The public prosecutor blamed social media for misleading young people into what he called "insurrectional acts." Justice Minister Carlo Nordio told Sky TG24 that the country needs to "expand the capacity of our youth detention facilities" following the mass arrests of minors.

Separately, economic pressures have led to unrest in other parts of the country. Truck drivers set up roadblocks in southern regions earlier in the week to protest fuel prices, leaving markets without supplies for several days. On Thursday, the government sought to ease the situation by creating a special fund for farmers and fishermen and granting tax breaks.