Milan Riots: Designer Stores Looted in Cost-of-Living Protests

Protests against the cost of living and public services in Milan, Italy, descended into violent riots over the weekend, with masked youths looting stores, smashing shop windows and turning the city's main streets into battlegrounds with police.

The violence continued through Sunday after beginning on Saturday, leaving widespread damage across one of Italy's most prominent cities.

According to the Italian news agency ANSA, hundreds of young people gathered near the famous Piazza del Duomo, many dressed in black with their faces covered. Groups of rioters moved through the city centre, shattering shop windows, hurling objects and storming stores. In several cases, the attacks were swift: rioters broke the glass, grabbed merchandise and fled before police could reach them.

Riots in Milan: Looters ransack designer stores as protests turn violent (Photo: Social media)

Among the businesses targeted were branches of the sportswear chains Foot Locker and Decathlon, alongside stores belonging to Levi's and Under Armour, as well as Carrefour supermarkets. In one incident, rioters used the handlebar of a scooter to smash the window of a clothing store, then pulled out merchandise and threw hangers into the street. At another shop, youths threw chairs and tables at the display windows.

Rioters also set fire to rubbish bins and improvised barricades, threw stones and glass bottles at police officers, and damaged property along major streets. Security forces responded with crowd-control measures including tear gas and water cannon. Parts of the upscale Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade were closed, and cafés and restaurants in the area rushed to shut their doors and bring in outdoor furniture for fear it would be damaged.

According to ANSA, by Sunday evening more than 200 people had been brought to police stations for questioning and identification, with around 80 per cent of them minors. Following Saturday's events, 28 people were arrested across Italy, including minors, and dozens more were registered as suspects. Police also reported injuries among security forces.

The unrest was not confined to Milan. Turin, Bologna, Brescia and Bergamo also saw clashes during protests against the cost of living and low wages. According to Italian media reports, the damage to businesses in Bologna and other centres was estimated at hundreds of thousands of euros, and in Milan the confrontations continued even after authorities reinforced police numbers.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence and announced a special meeting on public order. She made it clear that the right to protest does not grant permission to set cities on fire, attack police officers or harm citizens and businesses. Milan's mayor, Giuseppe Sala, also condemned the violence, though he acknowledged that the protest over the economic situation had real causes.

France saw parallel protests and clashes.