Giorgia Meloni’s government is deploying 500 soldiers to support the police in Milan in their fight against youths who have started French-style riots.
The riots broke out near the city’s Duomo cathedral and have led to widespread attacks on the police. There has also been looting of upmarket shops in Italy’s fashion capital. On Monday morning, disturbances also broke out outside the police station in Legnano.
270 people have been arrested. A request has been made for the detention of 11 people who face a sentence of up to 15 years, according to Corriera Della Serra.
“Milan is rolling up its sleeves and, even though the city is wounded, has got back on its feet,” said Milan’s mayor, Giuseppe Sala, on Monday.
On Saturday and Sunday, Milan was hit by what has been described as a ‘guerrilla war’. Many of the young people who took part in the riots were from migrant backgrounds. Over 200 police officers were injured during the clashes with the mob.
In addition, extensive damage was caused to public property. Over 280 street bins were destroyed, including six ‘smart bins’ powered by solar panels.
On social media, it is claimed that the Duomo Cathedral, Italy’s largest church, was specifically targeted by Muslim rioters who describe themselves as the ‘Gaza generation’.
🇮🇹 Rioters turn Piazza del Duomo into a battleground
In Milan, several hundred masked and hooded rioters targeted the iconic Piazza del Duomo, turning the commercial centre into a battleground: smashing cars, kicking in shop windows and clashing with the police. https://t.co/sL0WRfg2aV
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) 19 October 2026
🚨 Milan: this afternoon, around a hundred people were taken to the police station.
More shop windows smashed, a supermarket looted in Via Torino; the Duomo metro station closed as a precaution. Some may face charges of resisting arrest and vandalism. Video: TGR Rai Lombardia. https://t.co/Aw73fetBlw
— Italia 24H Live 🔴 – News from Italy (@Italia24HLive) 18 October 2026
BREAKING:
Massive riots have now also broken out in Milan, Italy.
An alliance of migrant gangs and Antifa extremists is attacking police officers and setting fires in front of Milan Cathedral (Duomo) https://t.co/yh8sbPWmsS
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) 17 October 2026
On Monday, US President Donald Trump said that Italy was facing the same problems as France, and that the cause is the massive influx of migrants into Western Europe.
“I told them all that this would happen; it’s a pressure cooker waiting to explode; it’s very sad for me to watch… they came in their millions, and frankly, they are different countries from what they were 10 years ago.”
Meloni’s government has attempted to stop boats picking up migrants practically on the quayside in Libya to transport them to Europe. Italy has also entered into an agreement to send migrants to asylum camps in Albania, but Meloni has been thwarted by the Italian judiciary.
Court in Italy puts a stop to the detention of migrants in Albania
Fearing further unrest, most luxury shops in Milan closed early on Monday, including Chanel, Hermès, Gucci, Prada, Saint Laurent and Versace.
Corriere della Sera quoted a passer-by who said the following about the shop closures:
“It feels as though we are at war.”
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini says the authorities are doing everything they can to restore order and prevent the rioters from regaining control of Piazza del Duomo.
“Even symbols have significance. As a Milanese, I am concerned: Milan is a hospitable and international city, and the images of Piazza Duomo in flames have spread across the world.”
As in France, the far left is more concerned with the fate of the rioters than with the damage they inflict on the police and buildings. Ilaria Salis, a Member of the European Parliament for the Italian Left (Sinistra Italiana), is one of those most concerned about the rioters.
“I am concerned about the minors who have been arrested. Their rights must be respected; we do not live in a police state. I express my concern for the situation of those who have been stopped and taken into custody – it is unclear where – including many minors from migrant backgrounds.”
Even if some of the young people placed in custody were to have committed offences – something that must be confirmed by the relevant authorities – this would in no way deprive them of their fundamental rights, which must be guaranteed and respected without exception.”
The European civil war will almost certainly continue this coming weekend. It is likely that the police in both France and Italy will then be better prepared, with the support of military forces.
