Meloni pledges no no-go zones after youth protests
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Thousands of students and young people took to the streets of Rome, Milan, Turin, and Bologna this weekend to protest the cost of living and international conflict. While there were clashes with police and incursions at the Colosseum, the protests avoided looting. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s response was to promise order; she insisted on isolating the violent and ensuring no parts of the city are off-limits to the state.
The Prime Minister is also managing a fractious coalition. She has reportedly warned her allies of possible resignations in March following an EU Council meeting in Rome, while the junior coalition partner Lega is occupied with its own internal rebellion. Northern members of the party are increasingly vocal in their dissent ahead of an upcoming congress.
Authorities have arrested a 30-year-old researcher suspected of managing a protest social media page, and the government has issued a €175 million decree to address a trucking strike. In foreign affairs, five activists returned to the country after being detained by the Israeli army in the West Bank.