Clashes in Milan follow “vandalism” of 70 showers in Olympic Village
~ Gabriel Fonten ~
Over 10,000 people took to the streets of Milan on Saturday 7 February to protest the first day of the Winter Olympics in Italy. Small clashes occurred as the main march dispersed, but larger clashes took place during the evening and night as protesters ignited flares and attempted to move towards the Olympic village. After police used batons, water canons, and tear-gas (reportedly fired directly at demonstrators), the group retreated and 6 people were arrested. All were released the same night under pressure from the other demonstrators.
Organised by the Unsustainable Olympic Committee, the march went through the city centre calling for “reclaiming the city and liberating the mountains” and denouncing the events’ environmental damage. The protests also denounced the presence of Israel’s delegation at the Olympics, and the arrival of ICE agents who are operating as security for American athletes, and Italy’s spending 3.5 billion Euros on games infrastructure while public services are in crisis.
The previous day the Olympic torch relay was disrupted with demonstrations against Olympic sponsors ENI and Coca-Cola and their involvement with Israel. The Israeli team was booed en masse at the opening ceremony, as was American Vice President J. D. Vance—who was also greeted with jeers at a game the following day.
Video from Contre Attaque
Despite the games’ 50 million Euro security budget, the lead-up was marked by the sabotage of 70 showers of the Olympic village, the destruction of the cooling system for the Toboggan track, and possibly attacks on the rail network on the eve of the games. Italian police said a track switch was set alight near Pesaro, on the Adriatic coast, and that severed electric cables were discovered several hours later near Bologna, about a hundred miles away, with a rudimentary explosive device left nearby. Similar unclaimed acts of sabotage caused severe delays in the French railway network during the 2022 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Far-right Prime Minister Georgia Meloni labelled the protesters “enemies of Italy” and denounced attempts to “damage the image” of the country on the international stage. Her government continues to pursue restrictions on protests in the country, most recently with a new “security” package which allows the preventive detention of people considered dangerous. The protests follow an even larger demonstration last weekend in Turin, marking a resurgence of youth-led social mobilisation in Italy unseen for over a decade.
