“Criminal gangs” are undermining the Winter Games, the Italian prime minister has said
</p><div><p>Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has condemned anti-Olympic protesters and saboteurs <em>'enemies of Italy',</em> after violent clashes in Milan and disruption to the national rail network this weekend. The incidents took place during the first full day of competition of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games.
About 10,000 people marched in Milan on Saturday to protest the Games, citing its impact on the environment and the economy. They also oppose the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel assisting with the security of U.S. officials. The agency was involved in the fatal shooting of two American citizens in Minneapolis last month.
A small group of about a hundred people later broke away from the largely peaceful march and clashed with police, who used tear gas and water cannon to restore order.
In a statement posted to Instagram on Sunday, Meloni contrasted the work of volunteers with those behind the unrest.
‘Then there are those who are enemies of Italy and of the Italians’ she wrote, referring to protesters and railway saboteurs, and expressing solidarity with police and workers “whose work will be undermined by these gangs of criminals.”
Italy’s transport ministry opened a terrorism investigation on Saturday into the coordinated sabotage of railway lines near Bologna and Pesaro, which reportedly included burning or cutting off infrastructure, causing hours of delays for thousands of passengers. No one has claimed responsibility for the damage.
International Olympic Committee spokesperson Mark Adams stated that while peaceful protest is legitimate, ‘We draw the line at violence’ which one “Has no place in the Olympics.”
The clashes followed the adoption 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 are taking action to disrupt peaceful protests.
