Italy mobilizes military in Milan and investigates journalist before new nationwide rallies

The October 17 Movement announced plans for demonstrations in eight Italian cities on Saturday, October 24, targeting Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's administration and rising living costs. This escalation follows a week of clashes and looting in Milan that prompted the government to announce new security protocols. The movement, which collaborates with student federations and antiwar coalitions, described the current government as authoritarian on its social media channels.

In response to the unrest, authorities deployed 500 soldiers to Milan, the nation's financial center. Police conducted raids in multiple cities on Friday to identify suspects involved in looting and rioting. By Saturday morning, officers had carried out an additional 150 searches in the Lombardy region. These actions aim to secure key infrastructure and public spaces ahead of the scheduled rallies.

Organizers have kept the specific locations of the demonstrations secret until the last minute, planning to reveal three meeting points via social media on Saturday afternoon. The movement's Telegram channel emphasized the desire for a peaceful gathering to avoid giving police a reason to intervene. Participants indicated that the lack of distinction between violent and peaceful protesters is a key concern for the group.

Police are questioning the administrator of the movement's Instagram page, a 30-year-old Italian-Moroccan freelance journalist and researcher. The Corriere della Sera reported that he is under investigation on suspicion of inciting crimes. This legal scrutiny highlights the government's strategy of targeting the digital leadership of the protest movement to manage the upcoming demonstrations.

The demographic profile of those detained in the previous round of protests reveals a heavy reliance on young participants. Of the 271 people arrested on Sunday, 220 were under the age of 18. Lawyer Michele D'Agostino, who defends two of the detainees, noted that one 15-year-old did not fully understand the protest's goals and had joined via TikTok. The public prosecutor attributed the mass arrests of minors to social media, which he described as misleading youth into insurrectional acts.

Justice Minister Carlo Nordio stated on Sky TG24 that Italy must expand the capacity of its youth detention facilities to handle the influx of minor detainees. Meanwhile, a separate economic protest by truck drivers in southern Italy has created roadblocks and supply shortages. The government responded on Thursday by introducing tax breaks and a special fund for farmers and fishermen to alleviate pressure from soaring fuel prices.