Police use water cannon in Rome after a general strike against the cost of living and rearmament; protesters pitch tents beside the Roman Forum.Police and protesters clashed in central Rome on Friday evening during a nationwide general strike, with petrol-filled balloons, firecrackers and bottles thrown at officers in the Colosseum, Trastevere and Testaccio areas. Further clashes took place in Turin.The strike was called by the grassroots union USB, and demonstrations took place in more than 60 cities against the rising cost of living and military spending. Most marches passed peacefully. USB claimed about a million people took part, though no official figure has been released. Rome The main USB march left Piazza dei Cinquecento, outside Termini station, at 10.30 and ended on Via dei Fori Imperiali. In the afternoon around 300 people broke away towards the Colosseum, where they built barricades from bins on Via Claudia, set bins and electric scooters alight and threw objects at riot police. Some peaceful protesters sought to put out the fires and clear the street. In the evening a student march, joined by an autonomous group of about 2,000 people in Trastevere, repeatedly tried to reach Parliament. Police blocked the way at Ponte Sisto with a light charge. Protesters then threw bottles, firecrackers and paper bombs along the Lungotevere in Testaccio and near Ponte Sublicio, and officers responded with water cannon. Rome commuters faced traffic chaos. Tensione vicino al Colosseo, a Roma, dove un gruppo di manifestanti incappucciati ha costruito delle barricate con dei cassonetti della spazzatura, dandone uno alle fiamme. Fitto lancio di bottiglie e verso lo schieramento di polizia. https://t.co/XnGkHXxZGR — Local Team (@localteamit) October 30, 2026 Police stopped the marchers on Viale Aventino and in Piazza Albania, and about 200 to 300 people were identified. Eight were detained, and some could face charges of blocking a road. Piazza Colonna and Piazza Montecitorio, outside the prime minister’s office and the lower house, were closed all day. USB and housing movements pitched tents on Via dei Fori Imperiali, calling the camp an “encampment of rights”. A “notte bianca" of music and debate is planned for Saturday and a national assembly for Sunday at 11.00 to plan further action. The union says it may call another general strike. Tight security Security focused on Termini, the Colosseum and the Circus Maximus, where the Villaggio Difesa, a major defence forces showcase for National Unity and Armed Forces Day, opened on Friday and runs until 4 November. Police helicopters and drones were deployed throughout the day. The Colosseum was already under scrutiny after protesters forced their way into the amphitheatre last weekend. The protests have resulted in the Colosseum Archaeological Park announcing some changes to its entrances and ticket office services on Saturday 31 October, as a precautionary measure. Turin In the northern city of Turin, officers used water cannon and later tear gas as masked demonstrators wearing helmets threw bottles on Via Roma. Organisers, including occupiers of the Campus Einaudi university and the group Torino per Gaza, plan another march in Piazza Castello on Saturday 7 November at 15.00. Political reaction Interior minister Matteo Piantedosi praised the police and said the right to protest peacefully had been protected, wishing injured officers a swift recovery. "The assaults they suffered represent an attack on the entire community" - Piantedosi wrote on X - "and those responsible will be held accountable." Education minister Giuseppe Valditara also thanked police. Earlier this week, deputy premier and transport minister Matteo Salvini issued an injunction banning the public transport element of the general strike, however unions vowed to defy his order and accept the consequences. Turin MP Chiara Appendino of the opposition Movimento 5 Stelle criticised what she called the criminalisation of the protests. USB led the strike with other grassroots unions, including COBAS, CUB and ADL. Students, pro-Palestine groups, housing movements and social centres joined in. COBAS spokesman Piero Bernocchi said the mobilisation was driven by domestic anger over prices, energy costs and spending on arms. Milan, Turin and the Siher case The unrest follows riots and looting in Milan on 17 and 18 October, and a Turin march on 24 October against the cost of living and rearmament. Prosecutors accused Youssef Siher, a 30-year-old researcher from Brescia and administrator of the Telegram channel “Movimento 17 ottobre”, of orchestrating the Milan violence. A Milan judge, Tiziana Landoni, refused to validate his detention. She said the evidence did not show he incited violence or aimed to undermine the state.Prime minister Giorgia Meloni called the decision to release Siher "shameful", and Milan’s court responded sharply. Opposition leader Elly Schlein criticised Meloni’s comments. Siher remains under investigation. Photo RAI News video

Police and protesters clashed in central Rome on Friday evening during a nationwide general strike, with petrol-filled balloons, firecrackers and bottles thrown at officers in the Colosseum, Trastevere and Testaccio areas. Further clashes took place in Turin. The strike was called by the grassroots union USB, and demonstrations took place in more than 60 cities against the rising cost of living and military spending. Most marches passed peacefully. USB claimed about a million people took part, though no official figure has been released. The main USB march left Piazza dei Cinquecento, outside Termini station, at 10.30 and ended on Via dei Fori Imperiali. In the afternoon around 300 people broke away towards the Colosseum, where they built barricades from bins on Via Claudia, set bins and electric scooters alight and threw objects at riot police. Some peaceful protesters sought to put out the fires and clear the street. In the evening a student march, joined by an autonomous group of about 2,000 people in Trastevere, repeatedly tried to reach Parliament. Police blocked the way at Ponte Sisto with a light charge. Protesters then threw bottles, firecrackers and paper bombs along the Lungotevere in Testaccio and near Ponte Sublicio, and officers responded with water cannon. Rome commuters faced traffic chaos. Tensione vicino al Colosseo, a Roma, dove un gruppo di manifestanti incappucciati ha costruito delle barricate con dei cassonetti della spazzatura, dandone uno alle fiamme. Fitto lancio di bottiglie e verso lo schieramento di polizia. https://t.co/XnGkHXxZGR — Local Team (@localteamit) Police stopped the marchers on Viale Aventino and in Piazza Albania, and about 200 to 300 people were identified. Eight were detained, and some could face charges of blocking a road. Piazza Colonna and Piazza Montecitorio, outside the prime minister’s office and the lower house, were closed all day. USB and housing movements pitched tents on Via dei Fori Imperiali, calling the camp an “encampment of rights”. A “notte bianca" of music and debate is planned for Saturday and a national assembly for Sunday at 11.00 to plan further action. The union says it may call another general strike. Security focused on Termini, the Colosseum and the Circus Maximus, where the Villaggio Difesa, a major  for National Unity and Armed Forces Day, opened on Friday and runs until 4 November. Police helicopters and drones were deployed throughout the day. The Colosseum was already under scrutiny after protesters forced their way into the amphitheatre last weekend. The protests have resulted in the Colosseum Archaeological Park announcing some , as a precautionary measure. In the northern city of Turin, officers used water cannon and later tear gas as masked demonstrators wearing helmets threw bottles on Via Roma. Organisers, including occupiers of the Campus Einaudi university and the group Torino per Gaza, plan another march in Piazza Castello on Saturday 7 November at 15.00. Interior minister Matteo Piantedosi praised the police and said the right to protest peacefully had been protected, wishing injured officers a swift recovery. "The assaults they suffered represent an attack on the entire community" - Piantedosi wrote on X - "and those responsible will be held accountable." Education minister Giuseppe Valditara also thanked police. Earlier this week, deputy premier and transport minister Matteo Salvini banning the public transport element of the general strike, however unions vowed to defy his order and accept the consequences. Turin MP Chiara Appendino of the opposition Movimento 5 Stelle criticised what she called the criminalisation of the protests. USB led the strike with other grassroots unions, including COBAS, CUB and ADL. Students, pro-Palestine groups, housing movements and social centres joined in. COBAS spokesman Piero Bernocchi said the mobilisation was driven by domestic anger over prices, energy costs and spending on arms. The unrest follows riots and looting in Milan on 17 and 18 October, and a Turin march on 24 October against the cost of living and rearmament. Prosecutors accused Youssef Siher, a 30-year-old researcher from Brescia and administrator of the Telegram channel “Movimento 17 ottobre”, of orchestrating the Milan violence. A Milan judge, Tiziana Landoni, refused to validate his detention. She said the evidence did not show he incited violence or aimed to undermine the state.

Prime minister Giorgia Meloni called the , and Milan’s court responded sharply. Opposition leader Elly Schlein criticised Meloni’s comments. Siher remains under investigation. Photo RAI News video