In Milan, demonstrations over the weekend against the war and the rising cost of living also turned into clashes between protesters and police.
Photos show a chaotic scene around Piazza del Duomo, the landmark central square outside Milan’s Cathedral and one of the city’s busiest tourist areas, with looters vandalizing shop fronts and burning objects.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence in a post on X on Sunday.
“Thugs are exploiting the demonstrations to spread chaos, attack those who guarantee security, and hold entire cities hostage,” he wrote. “Demonstrating is a right. Setting our city on fire is not.”
The demonstration also took place in other cities in northern Italy. Police estimates reported by Rai News, Italy’s public broadcaster put the number of viewers at around 5,000 in Milan, 3,000 in Turin, 2,000 in Bologna, 600 in Brescia, and 800 in Bergamo.
Italy’s annual inflation rate rose to 4.1% in September, from 3.2% in August.
In Milan, house prices are also rising: residential house prices were 49% higher in September than in 2018, according to the property portal Immobiliare.it.