Italy Arrests Protesters Amid Milan Olympic Chaos

Published: 08 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

Italian police arrested six people after clashes erupted with protesters in Milan, one of the host cities of the Winter Olympic Games, during the first day of competition.

Thousands of demonstrators took to northern Italy’s streets on Saturday to voice concerns over the rising cost of living and other social issues. Some protesters set off flares and hurled stones at law enforcement, who responded with water cannons.

The unrest comes after the Italian government tightened protest laws following a demonstration last weekend in Turin that left more than 100 police officers injured. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini described Saturday’s confrontations in Milan as acts of criminality.

“Just days after the shameful violence in Turin, more clashes, more attacks on law enforcement,” Salvini said. “We’re proud to have pushed for a new security package that will allow for even more effective interventions against thugs and criminals.

The previous Turin demonstration, sparked by the eviction of an unofficial social centre, began peacefully but escalated into violence when armed groups confronted police. Over 30 people were arrested, and one officer was attacked with a hammer, an incident Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni labeled attempted murder.

The fast-tracked security package allows police to detain suspected troublemakers for up to 12 hours before demonstrations, aiming to prevent unrest from spreading. Critics, however, argue that it is repressive.

While much of Saturday’s protest in Milan proceeded peacefully, some participants voiced concerns over the environmental and social impacts of the Olympic Games. “These Games were promoted as sustainable and cost-neutral,” said protest organiser Alberto di Monte. “Because the Games were spread across multiple sites, billions were spent on roads instead of protecting the mountains.”

Francesca Missana, a local attendee, added that the Olympics were “no longer sustainable from an environmental or a social point of view; their time is up.

The day was further disrupted by suspected sabotage on northern Italy’s railway network. Fires were reported on rail lines between Bologna and Venice, where police later discovered severed cables and a rudimentary explosive device. Another track switch was set alight near Pesaro on the Adriatic coast.

Bologna’s central rail station, a major transport hub linking north-south and east-west routes, saw services delayed for hours. The railway operator RFI confirmed that services have since returned to normal. The transport ministry described the incidents as “suspected sabotage,” noting similarities with vandalism that occurred at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“These actions of unprecedented seriousness do not in any way tarnish Italy’s image in the world, an image that the Games will make even more compelling,” Salvini, also Italy’s transport minister, said.

The Winter Olympics are ongoing until 22 February, with events spread across Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, the Dolomite towns of Predazzo and Tesero, and Alpine resorts including Livigno and Bormio.