Suryaa Now International Desk: Italian authorities have mounted an extensive security operation across key urban hubs, deploying roughly 3,300 law enforcement personnel, military units, and aerial surveillance drones in anticipation of widespread demonstrations scheduled for Saturday. With more than thirty public mobilisations including strikes, marches, and sit-ins slated to address rising living expenses in major centres such as Milan, Rome, Turin, Bologna, Florence, and Genoa, security establishments have moved decisively to forestall a repetition of unrest witnessed during mid-October rallies. The capital city of Rome has mobilized approximately 1,500 security personnel backed by police and Carabinieri aircraft to oversee both sanctioned and unsanctioned gatherings, alongside stringent surveillance at railway stations and public plazas.
In the northern commercial hub of Milan, approximately 1,800 security officers comprising state police, Carabinieri, municipal staff, and 500 soldiers have taken positions to preserve order. Local administrative directives have prohibited rallies in districts like Garibaldi and Porta Venezia while redirecting authorised events away from the iconic Duomo cathedral square. At the same time, specialized cyber units in Rome are coordinating closely with the operational division of the state police to track digital forums, messaging channels, and social networks where agitators have reportedly shared manuals detailing techniques to provoke confrontations with law enforcement officers.
Foreign diplomatic representations in the European nation have reacted swiftly to the security climate, with the American mission cautioning travellers to steer clear of crowded shopping corridors, notable gathering points, and demonstration venues across Milan. Concurrently, New Delhi has issued a formal safety advisory urging Indian expatriates and travellers residing in Italy, France, and Belgium to exercise heightened vigilance, stay away from agitation spots, and strictly heed administrative directives. The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed through spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal that Indian embassies in these nations remain in continuous communication with community associations to guarantee the well-being of overseas citizens.
The heavy protective measures follow sharp reactions from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who reiterated that while democratic societies uphold the fundamental right to peaceful assembly, destructive behavior and attacks on police forces will not be tolerated. Addressing the recent turmoil in cities like Milan and Bologna, where agitators carried makeshift weapons and disrupted major railway hubs, she condemned the actions of radical factions exploiting civic demonstrations to inflict chaos, demanding that political leaders across party lines issue an unambiguous rejection of street violence.