Italy deploys troops and creates new anti-riot crime after cost-of-living protests

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Looters and police fought through Milan's central shopping district for a weekend, with gangs of mostly young people smashing windows, robbing shops and attacking officers. On Tuesday, Italy's cabinet answered with 500 soldiers headed to the city, a new crime of violent protest participation carrying up to five years in prison, and fines on parents whose children cause damage — measures in force immediately.

The unrest spans Italy. Students and workers clashed with police in northern cities over fuel prices, high rents and stagnant wages, while truckers in the south blockaded roads over diesel costs, halting pasta production and risking spoiled food shipments. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni calls the violence inexcusable; critics say the security laws treat the symptom rather than the cost-of-living squeeze pushing people into the streets.

Why it matters

Italy is answering cost-of-living anger with prison terms and troops — a test case for how European governments handle inflation-driven unrest.

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Key Indicators

500

Soldiers deployed to Milan

Troops join police patrols in Milan through December 2026, at a cost of 4.7 million euros.

5 years

Maximum prison term for violent protest participation

New offense applies to anyone in a group of at least five who endangers public safety; fines reach 20,000 euros.

$539M

Fuel aid promised to truckers

Transport Minister Matteo Salvini pledged 480 million euros ($539 million) after talks with industry representatives.

330

People detained in weekend protests

Meloni said about 200 police officers were injured and half of those detained were of foreign origin.

Voices

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People Involved

Giorgia Meloni

Prime Minister of Italy

Overseeing the new security decree; faces elections due in 2027

Matteo Piantedosi

Interior Minister

Managing the Milan troop deployment and security planning

Matteo Salvini

Transport Minister

Negotiating with truckers over fuel aid

Sergio Mattarella

President of Italy

Blocked giving soldiers policing powers

Organizations Involved

Italian Government

National government cabinet

Approved the security decree in effect immediately

The cabinet that approved the new security package on October 20, 2026.

Presidency of the Italian Republic

Head of state office

Constitutional check on the security decree

President Mattarella opposed giving soldiers policing powers in the decree.

Timeline

5 events Latest: Yesterday

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October 2026
Cabinet approves sweeping security measures
Latest Policy

Italy approves 500 troops for Milan, a new crime of violent protest participation with up to 5 years in prison, and parent liability for minors' damage.
Yesterday
Salvini promises fuel aid; Mattarella blocks policing powers
Policy

Transport Minister Salvini pledges 480 million euros ($539 million) in fuel funding; President Mattarella prevents soldiers from gaining policing powers.
Yesterday
Pasta maker Garofalo resumes at reduced capacity
Economic impact

The leading pasta producer restarts operations at 40% capacity after halting production Saturday over blocked supply chains.
2 days ago
Riots erupt in Milan and northern cities
Protest

Groups of mostly young people loot shops, smash windows and clash with police in Milan and other northern cities over fuel prices, rents and wages.
4 days ago
Truckers blockade southern Italy
Protest

Truck drivers block roads across the south over diesel prices, disrupting food supply chains; some pasta makers halt production.
4 days ago

Scenarios

Renewed violence brings a deeper crackdown

Possible Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: Italian media noting further demonstrations planned for Saturday, October 24

If the new weekend demonstrations turn violent, Meloni's government could extend the troop deployment, expand preventive detention powers, or revisit granting soldiers policing authority despite Mattarella's opposition. The decree was written partly as a deterrent; a repeat of last weekend would likely produce follow-on measures.

Fuel aid and talks calm the trucker blockades

Possible Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: Transport Minister Matteo Salvini after meetings with union representatives

The 480 million euros in promised fuel funding, delivered through negotiations with trucker representatives, could unwind the southern blockades and restore supply chains. This outcome would leave the security decree in place but remove the disruption feeding cost-of-living anger.

Courts or EU institutions strike down the new law

Unlikely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Legal critics of the decree's detention and prosecution provisions for minors

The new offense of violent protest participation, the extension of preventive detention to teenagers as young as 14, and the presumption that minors over 14 are criminally responsible could face challenges before the Italian Constitutional Court or European institutions over rights grounds. Any ruling would force the government to amend or withdraw elements of the package.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

November 2018 – 2019

Yellow Vests protests, France (2018-2019)

In November 2018, French protesters wearing yellow hi-vis vests blocked roads nationwide against a fuel tax hike. Weekly Saturday clashes in Paris and elsewhere left hundreds injured and shops burned for months.

Then

The government scrapped the fuel tax increase and offered concessions, but the weekly marches continued for over a year.

Now

The movement became a reference point for cost-of-living protests across Europe and a warning about how sensitive voters are to fuel prices.

Why this matters now

Same trigger — fuel and cost-of-living anger — and the same dilemma for a government: meet it with force, concessions, or both.

January–February 2024

European farmer roadblock protests (2024)

Farmers blocked highways across France, Germany, and other EU countries over diesel prices, low incomes and regulation. Tractor convoys snarled Paris suburbs, ports and border crossings.

Then

Governments offered emergency aid packages and eased some fuel and tax rules; blockades mostly lifted within weeks.

Now

Road-blockade protests became a recurring lever for rural workers facing high input costs across Europe.

Why this matters now

Italy's southern truckers are using the same tactic — blocking roads to force fuel aid — against the same diesel price pressures, and the government's 480-million-euro pledge mirrors the 2024 concessions.

October–November 2005

French suburban riots (2005)

Weeks of riots erupted across French suburbs after two teenagers died fleeing police. Rioters burned thousands of cars and clashed with officers nightly.

Then

France declared a state of emergency, imposed curfews, and deployed police and army reserves to restore order.

Now

The episode became a landmark in European debates over youth unrest and heavy-handed policing; emergency powers were extended after the initial declaration.

Why this matters now

Italy's package — swifter prosecution of teens, fines on their parents, and troop deployment — mirrors France's 2005 approach to youth violence, raising the same questions about whether force addresses the underlying grievances.