The Italian government is sending 500 military personnel to Milan to ensure public order after large-scale street riots, vandalism and clashes with police that occurred last weekend. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
Initially, student protests against government policy spread to protests against rising prices, which escalated into pogroms. About 5,000 people (mostly young people) came out to Cathedral Square, after which radicals began throwing stones and bottles at police.
The city's commercial sector (shops, bars and boutiques in the center) suffered damage estimated at up to 700 million euros. The losses were caused by vandalism, looting and the forced closure of establishments.
At least 14 law enforcement officers were injured during the clashes. Police detained 32 people, and another 271 were taken to police stations (of which 220 were minors, 60 were foreign citizens).
The 500 soldiers being sent will strengthen street patrols. The authorities are considering expanding their powers by equating them to police officers, which will allow the military to detain offenders directly at the crime scene.
Earlier, Kursiv wrote that Paris introduced a local curfew from 22:00 to 06:00 due to mass riots. The restrictions took effect on the evening of Monday, October 19, 2026.