Italy deploys 500 Folgore Brigade paratroopers in Milan after looting

Italian Folgore paratroopers began patrolling Milan’s streets after riots and looting took place in the city last week during a protest over the rising cost of living.

Soldiers from the Italian Army’s Folgore Paratroopers Brigade began patrolling Milan’s streets on Saturday morning, particularly the shopping streets targeted by protesters last week, including Via Monte Napoleone, which is home to luxury stores.

The deployment of about 500 paratroopers from Siena was ordered by Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini to support the police through December 31, 2026. The soldiers will perform public security duties without judicial police powers and will not carry handcuffs, stun guns or pepper spray. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto criticized the deployment, saying it made no sense without those powers.

Protests over the cost of living, fuel prices and taxes on October 17 and 18 turned into clashes in central Milan. Young people, most of them teenagers, clashed with police in Piazza del Duomo, smashed shop windows and looted some stores. Il Fatto Quotidiano reported that about 60 people were detained and 25 were injured, while the Milan traders’ association estimated the damage at more than €700,000.

A group calling itself the “October 17 Movement” announced plans to organize anti-government protests every Saturday. Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala said the protesters’ grievances were understandable, but violence against police and the serious damage inflicted on the city were unjustifiable.