Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned anti-Olympics protesters and saboteurs as “enemies of Italy,” following violent clashes in Milan and disruption to the national rail network over the weekend. The incidents occurred during the first full day of competition at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games.
On Saturday, around 10,000 people marched in Milan to protest the Games, citing their environmental and economic impact. They also opposed the presence of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel assisting with security for American officials.
The deployment followed highly controversial federal operations in Minneapolis earlier in 2026, where ICE agents fatally shot two US citizens, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, sparking national outrage and protests.
A small group of roughly 100 protesters later broke away from the larger march and clashed with police, who used tear gas and water cannons to restore order.
In a statement posted on Instagram on Sunday, Meloni contrasted the work of volunteers with those behind the unrest: “Then there are those who are enemies of Italy and Italians,” she wrote, expressing solidarity with police and workers “whose work will be undermined by these gangs of criminals.”
The Italian Transport Ministry has opened a terrorism investigation into the coordinated sabotage of railway lines near Bologna and Pesaro on Saturday, where infrastructure was reportedly burned or cut, causing hours of delays for thousands of passengers. No one has claimed responsibility for the damage.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) stated that while peaceful protest is legitimate, “we draw a line at violence,” which “has no place at the Olympic Games.”
The clashes followed the approval of a new security decree by Meloni’s government, which allows police to detain individuals for up to 12 hours if there is reason to believe they may act to disrupt peaceful protests.
Source: Al-Ahed News
