By Breitbart News Network | Created at 2026-10-19 23:41:30 | Updated at 2026-10-20 02:55:39
4 hours ago
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government in Rome is set to deploy 500 soldiers to the city of Milan to support local law enforcement after French-style youth riots broke out near the city’s Duomo Cathedral, resulting in widespread attacks on police and looting of high-end shops in the Italian fashion capital.
Italian Minister of Defence Guido Crosetto approved deploying 500 Italian soldiers to Milan on Monday amid a broader effort to clamp down on unrest that appeared to spread from France over the weekend, the local Corriere della Sera newspaper reported.
While the Council of Ministers will need to give final approval to the defence decree on Tuesday, Minister Crosetto said he has signed off on an “increase in military personnel to support the police forces in Milan.”
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini described the move as a “victory” for his League (Lega) party, saying: “From words to deeds!”
MILAN, ITALY – OCTOBER 18: Protesters vandalise a shop during protests in Milan, Italy, on October 18, 2026. (Photo by Andrea Carrubba/Anadolu via Getty Images)
It comes in the wake of central Milan descending into what has been described as “guerrilla war” on Saturday and Sunday as youths — often from migrant communities in the surrounding suburbs — clashed with police and looted during supposed protests over the cost of living. Over 200 police officers were injured during battles with the protesters.
Some suggested on social media that the Duomo Cathedral, the largest church in Italy, was targeted specifically as the site of the protest due to the heavily Islamic makeup of the self-described ‘Gaza Generation’ protesters.
Speaking to reporters on Monday outside the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump said that Italy was facing the same issues as France because of immigration, saying: “I told them all it was going to happen, that’s a boiler waiting to explode, it’s a very sad thing for me to watch… they came in by the millions, and honestly they are different countries than they were 10 years ago.”
In total, over 270 people, including 220 minors, were detained over the weekend, the Milan Police reported. So far, 11 are facing potential prison sentences of up to 15 years.
In addition to attacks on police, there was widespread damage done to public property, with over 280 street trash cans being damaged, including six “smart bins” which use waste compression technology powered with solar panels.
Milan’s AMSA waste management company reportedly mobilised 90 workers and 60 vehicles for the cleanup operation to clear debris and other garbage from the riots and looting.
Amid concerns about continued unrest, major clothing, jewellery, and other luxury goods shops closed early in Milan on Monday, including Chanel, Hermès, Gucci, Prada, Saint Laurent, and Versace, among others.
Corriere della Sera quoted a passerby, who said of the shop closures: “It feels like we’re at war.”
TOPSHOT – A barricade of cardboard and trash is set on fire as demonstrators clash with Police during an anti-government protest organised by the Italia in Piazza movement, at Piazza Duomo in Milan, on October 17, 2026. (Photo by Piero CRUCIATTI / AFP via Getty Images)
Deputy PM Salvini said that it is imperative to restore order and prevent rioters from retaking control of the Duomo square, saying: “Even symbols make a difference. As a Milanese, I’m disturbed: Milan is a welcoming and international city, and the images of Piazza Duomo on fire have gone around the world.”
As in France, the far left seems more concerned with the fate of the rioters, including Italian Left (Sinistra Italiana) Member of the European Parliament Ilaria Salis.
Salis, who was previously convicted in Hungary for involvement in an Antifa hammer gang attack but who avoided prison after being elected to the EU Parliament in Italy, said: “I’m concerned about the minors arrested. Their rights must be respected; we’re not in a police state. I express my concern about the situation of those stopped and detained—it is unclear where—including numerous minors with a migrant background.:
“Even if some of the young people detained had committed crimes —a circumstance that will need to be verified by the appropriate authorities— this would in no way deprive them of their fundamental rights, which must be guaranteed and respected without exception.”
If the defence decree is approved on Tuesday, law enforcement will gain special powers, including the ability to detain minors for over 12 hours and to impose bans on gatherings deemed a threat to public order.
