Police in riot gear pushed toward a group of protesters who launched fireworks, flares and smoke bombs during a demonstration in Milan on Saturday, as the city hosted events on the first full day of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
An estimated 10,000 people took part in a march organised by grassroots unions, housing-rights groups and community activists, aiming to draw attention to Milan’s rising living costs and environmental pressures tied to the city’s recent growth.
A small group split from the main body, throwing firecrackers, smoke bombs and bottles at police. Officers in riot gear responded with water cannon, quickly restoring order, police sources said.
The protest unfolded under tightened security for the Games and came a week after hard-left unrest in Turin left more than 100 police officers injured and nearly 30 protesters arrested, according to the interior ministry.
Tensions in Milan have been rising for years as soaring rents and a post-2015 property boom push many residents to the margins.
Critics say the Olympics have heightened the strain, drawing resources away from essential services and accelerating pressures on mountain communities hosting events across the widely dispersed venues.
Some activists argue that public money has been misdirected, pointing to infrastructure projects they say threaten fragile alpine areas.
Seventy-one-year-old Stefano Nutini said the event was “unsustainable - economically, socially, and environmentally,” adding that Olympic-linked construction had placed a heavy burden on local towns.
The International Olympic Committee has countered that Milano Cortina relies largely on existing facilities, presenting it as a more sustainable model for future Games.
Demonstrators at the front of the march carried cardboard trees to symbolise larches they say were felled to build the new bobsleigh track in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
A banner accused organisers of sacrificing century-old trees for a 124 million euro venue offering less than two minutes of competition.
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