Thousands march in European cities amid unrest
- Thousands of demonstrators turned out across European cities on Saturday, Oct.
- Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni announced an additional deployment of 500 soldiers to Milan alongside tougher penalties for minors.
- Luxury boutiques in Milan's fashion district, including Gucci, Tiffany, and Omega, boarded up their front windows ahead of the demonstrations.
Thousands of demonstrators turned out across European cities on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, as security forces deployed in large numbers to contain civil unrest following violent clashes the previous week. In Milan, hundreds of soldiers and about 5,000 police and other security personnel monitored crowds of mostly young people, according to reports.
Milan Deploys Additional Soldiers and Security Measures
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni announced an additional deployment of 500 soldiers to Milan alongside tougher penalties for minors. Police reported that minors made up a large portion of the violent protesters during demonstrations the prior week. Authorities utilized drone surveillance, online monitoring, checks at railway stations, and rapid-response units to maintain order, according to abcnews.com reporting.
Luxury boutiques in Milan’s fashion district, including Gucci, Tiffany, and Omega, boarded up their front windows ahead of the demonstrations. Rioters during the previous weekend had smashed their way into stores to target sneakers and sporting goods near the central Duomo square. Despite these precautions, Saturday’s march in Milan remained largely peaceful and concluded outside the Milan Polytechnic more than 3 kilometers from the city center, npr.org noted.
Clashes Erupt in Rome, Turin, and Tirana
While Milan stayed mostly peaceful, brief clashes with police occurred in both Rome and Turin. In Rome, authorities locked down luxury shopping streets and increased security around the Circus Maximus and Piazza del Popolo. A small group of protesters attempted to force entry into the Colosseum before guards ushered them out, npr.org stated. A separate anti-war march took place in central Rome.
In Albania’s capital of Tirana, 2,500 police officers patrolled the streets as demonstrators threw projectiles and set government buildings on fire.
Demonstrations Over Pensions and Housing Span Madrid and Lisbon
Thousands of retirees marched peacefully in Madrid on Oct. 24, 2026, to demand protection for public pensions ahead of upcoming elections.
In Lisbon, protesters gathered to demand affordable housing and opposed recent measures introduced by Prime Minister Luis Montenegro’s government. These measures aimed to ease caps on yearly rent increases and facilitate tenant evictions. Protesters argued that the policy places tenants in a vulnerable position, while Montenegro defended the changes as a way to boost the rental market and build trust between landlords and tenants, npr.org noted.