Italian Government to deploy 500 troops to ''protect Milan''

Riots and looting in Italy have prompted the government to take tougher security measures. The authorities will deploy 500 troops to Milan, which has been affected by the unrest, to help maintain public order, the newspaper Il Messaggero reports.

According to available information, a decree strengthening security in Milan is expected to be approved at an emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers on October 20. The decision was made during a meeting attended by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The troops will reinforce local security forces and assist law enforcement officers.

The damage to Milan’s retail sector caused by the riots is estimated at €700,000. The figure includes vandalism, the forced closure of several shops, and arson.

''The Italian government will deploy 500 troops to ‘protect Milan’ following two days of unrest during which demonstrators clashed with police, looted shops, and damaged property,'' the agency’s report states.

On October 17 and 18, thousands of students took to the streets in cities across northern Italy to protest low wages, high taxes, rising food and fuel prices, and cuts in public funding for education.

Some marches escalated into riots, with groups of protesters smashing shop and restaurant windows, damaging street benches, throwing stones, and setting rubbish bins on fire. In response, police used tear gas and water cannons. The most serious unrest occurred in Milan.