Thousands of protesters and striking workers took to the streets across Italy on Friday, opposing soaring living costs and military spending while security forces massed near historic monuments. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government defended a draft budget featuring youth bonuses, pointing to a crackdown on recent unrest.
Demonstrations Across Italian Cities and General Strike Turnout
Mass demonstrations materialized in more than 50 cities on Friday, drawing crowds that packed public squares from Rome to Milan and Naples. The day of action combined student marches with a general strike called by the USB trade union, bringing together transport workers, farmers, and housing rights advocates.
Estimates on overall participation varied sharply between organizers and authorities. The USB union estimated that between one million and 1.5 million people took part nationwide, while independent calculations compiled from individual local demonstrations tallied more than 200,000 participants, with the largest single turnouts exceeding 50,000 each in Rome and Bologna. Authorities published no official nationwide figures.
In Rome, a procession starting from the main train station drew participants toward the area surrounding the Colosseum. Similar tensions flared in northern cities. In Turin, farmers dumped manure on the streets, and clashes broke out between demonstrators and security forces.
Protesters Target Meloni Government over Inflation and Wages
Protesters directed their anger at Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government. Demonstrators argued that ordinary households are bearing the brunt of an annual inflation rate that reached 5.4 percent in October—its highest level in three years.
Prices for food, energy, transport, and household bills have risen by 68 percent since 2000, while the average wage fell by almost 5 percent. University student Beatrice Chilelli told reporters that young people are at a breaking point
because they can’t afford to pay exorbitant tuition fees, and rent… which weighs heavily on their parents’ shoulders
, noting that single-room student housing in Rome can reach 1,200 euros per month.
They have no money for their houses, they have no money for gasoline and everything.
Luca, a 20-year-old medical student, via NBC News
Protesters also voiced strong opposition to rising military spending and rearmament linked to conflicts in the Middle East. Giovanna Di Matteo, a member of the left-wing Potere al Popolo!, criticized the administration.
Government Security Crackdowns and Troop Deployments in Milan
The nationwide mobilization followed weeks of unrest, including clashes between youth and police during the October 17-18 weekend in Milan, where groups of mainly young people looted shops and smashed windows. In response, Meloni’s administration introduced emergency legislation introducing stretches of up to five years in prison and fines of €20,000 for joining protest groups that endanger public safety.
The new security measures also hold parents financially liable when their children participate in vandalism, while easing rules on detaining minors and deploying 500 army troops alongside police in Milan through the end of the year.
Prime Minister Meloni defended the security stance on social media, writing that there is nothing revolutionary about vandalizing and stealing. Vandalism and theft are not protest, they are criminality
.
Draft Budget Concessions and Transport Restrictions
Seeking to quell the economic discontent, the government agreed to a 175.2-million-euro ($195 million) aid package for truck drivers, farmers, and fishermen impacted by fuel price spikes linked to the war in the Middle East. Governing parties included family and youth support measures in the draft 2027 budget under discussion, including an annual bonus of 2,500 euros for workers under 30.
I hope this can provide answers for young people in general… who feel that the state doesn’t care about them,
Meloni told journalists on Wednesday, emphasizing that the financial provisions were not for those who smash windows
.
Meanwhile, the general strike’s impact on travel remained uneven. Although union organizers had projected sweeping paralysis, Transport Minister Matteo Salvini issued an order banning strikes in the transport sector ahead of the November 1 All Saints’ Day public holiday, leaving local and long-distance transport services largely unaffected during morning operations.