In brief
While the 2026 Winter Olympics commenced in Milan, protestors clashed with police over various issues, including the high costs associated with the Games and living conditions in Italy. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the protesters, calling them the 'enemy of Italy.' Tensions rose after a recent demonstration in Turin left over 100 police officers injured.
Six people have been arrested after police clashed with protesters in Milan, one of the hosts of the Winter Olympic Games, during the first day of the competition.
Thousands took to the streets of the city in northern Italy on Saturday to protest against the Games and a range of issues including the cost of living. Some released fireworks and threw stones at police, who responded with water cannon.
It comes after the government tightened protest laws in the wake of a demonstration last weekend in Turin that left more than 100 officers injured, according to government figures.
Meanwhile, officials are investigating suspected sabotage on northern Italy's railway network on Saturday.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said those protesting against the Olympics were the enemy of Italy and they had put images of the demonstrations on the televisions of half the world while thousands of other Italians were working hard to make the competition a success.
She said this had happened after others locked railway cables to prevent trains from starting.
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini described those involved in confrontations in Milan as criminals.
Just days after the shameful violence in Turin, more clashes, more attacks on law enforcement, he said.
Most people involved in Saturday's protest in Milan marched peacefully. One woman, Francesca Missana, told AFP news agency that the Olympic Games were no longer sustainable from an environmental or a social point of view, their time is up.
These Games were promoted as sustainable and cost-neutral, protest organiser Alberto di Monte told AFP. He added that because the Games were spread across multiple sites, billions had been spent on roads instead of protecting the mountains.
