MORE THAN 270 PEOPLE DETAINED OVER VIOLENCE

MILAN, OCTOBER 19 /SRNA–Reuters/ – Italian police detained 271 young people during yesterday’s unrests in Milan, authorities said today, following a second day of protests over poor public services and the rising cost of living, during which the demonstrators clashed with police officers, looted shops and vandalised property.

Television footage showed riot police firing tear gas and deploying water cannons as several hundred hooded demonstrators set rubbish bins on fire and looted shops, including outlets belonging to sports retailers Decathlon and Arc'teryx, as well as a Vodafone mobile phone store in the city centre.

Police said that, of those taken to police stations, 32 had been arrested, including 23 minors. Thirteen foreign nationals were among those arrested. A further 28 people were reported to the judicial authorities.

The unrests followed similar clashes on Saturday, October 17, in cities across northern Italy, including Milan, Bologna, Brescia, Bergamo and Turin, where 28 demonstrators were arrested.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who faces elections next year, condemned the violence and announced that a government meeting would be held today to discuss the resolution to current developments.