ROME TO SEND 500 SOLDIERS TO PROVIDE SECURITY IN MILAN

ROME, OCTOBER 20 /SRNA/ - The Italian Government will deploy 500 members of the armed forces to provide security in Milan following two days of unrest during which demonstrators clashed with police, looted shops and vandalized property, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini announced.

The deployment of troops is expected to form part of a package of security measures to be considered at today’s Cabinet meeting.

Protests over the rising cost of living in Milan began peacefully but escalated into looting, vandalism and clashes with groups of masked individuals, mostly young people, including minors.

Demonstrators threw stones and rubbish bins at police officers, while police responded with tear gas and water cannon.

More than 270 people have been detained, and damage to shops, including Decathlon and Vodafone outlets, is estimated at hundreds of thousands of euros. Similar unrest has also erupted in other cities in northern Italy.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence and convened a security meeting, while local residents gathered to show support for shop owners and express their anger over the looting and destruction of property.