Clashes broke out in and around Piazza Duomo in Milan on 17 October 2026 during the 'Italia in piazza' march. According to ANSA, groups of mostly young people, many dressed in black, threw firecrackers, metal barriers and rubbish bins at police. Officers responded with a charge that reached the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, and later advanced along Corso Vittorio Emanuele with a water cannon. Shops in the area pulled down their shutters, and staff and customers were reported trapped inside the luxury stores of the Galleria.
A Nike storefront on Corso Vittorio Emanuele was smashed before the march even began, the Footlocker outlet there was looted, and the Rinascente department store was damaged. Five police officers were hurt according to ANSA: two Digos officers, two plainclothes officers and a police commander, with official figures not yet released. Two officers were struck in the head by porphyry paving stones and needed stitches, and one of them stayed on duty while bleeding. The 118 emergency service treated about twenty people around Piazza Duomo and Cordusio, half of whom were taken to hospital with green and yellow triage codes. Five young people aged 18 to 30 who took part in the march were taken to hospital with bruises and wounds judged minor, three to Niguarda, one to the Policlinico and one to the Istituto Città Studi.
Mayor Giuseppe Sala said the protest had understandable reasons but that the violence was not justified.
“The reasons for the protest were understandable. The violence against the police forces and the serious damage to the city are unjustifiable.”
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote on social media that she had great respect for the thousands who protested peacefully, including those taking part in the CGIL mobilisation, and called on the opposition to condemn the violence without ambiguity.
“Demonstrating is a right. Setting our cities on fire is not.”
Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani wrote on X that violence and vandalism in Milan, Bologna, Turin and other cities were totally unacceptable, and he expressed full solidarity with the police.