The Milan march ended peacefully outside the Polytechnic university. But police reported brief confrontations in Rome and Turin, while demonstrations in Tirana, Albania, turned violent. The protests raised a wide range of concerns, including education, corruption, war, pensions and housing costs.

In Milan, soldiers joined hundreds already stationed in the city, alongside about 5,000 police and other security personnel. Authorities used drones, railway-station checks, rapid-response units and online monitoring. Some luxury stores in the fashion district boarded up their windows, though most shops had reopened by late afternoon. The Apple store remained closed.

At the Milan demonstration, crowds chanted against Premier Giorgia Meloni and carried banners reading “No to lies of the state.” Protesters dumped manure outside Italy’s energy regulator and burned an oversized symbolic electricity bill, according to images shown on local television.

The heightened precautions followed violence the previous weekend, when groups broke into stores near the central Duomo square. Police said about 2,000 young protesters were involved in the unrest and that officers arrested 45 people over two days, including 34 minors. Milan police also detained several minors preemptively on Saturday, according to local media.

Rome saw a mix of demonstrations. Several hundred students marched peacefully, while a separate anti-war protest briefly clashed with police near Piazza della Repubblica. Police used a water cannon, and protesters withdrew. A small group also attempted to enter the Colosseum but was escorted out by guards.

In Tirana, riot police used water cannons as protesters threw objects and set government buildings on fire. Students there have called for lower tuition, more public investment in education and action on corruption. Prime Minister Edi Rama said his government was preparing a response and invited students to dialogue, while warning that those involved in violence would face penalties.

Other demonstrations focused on economic security. Thousands of retirees and supporters marched in Madrid to oppose changes they fear could lead to privatized pensions. In Lisbon, protesters demanded affordable housing and objected to government proposals to ease limits on annual rent increases and make it easier to evict tenants who do not pay.

The Milan protests also have a local political backdrop. Pierfrancesco Majorino, who announced a run for mayor on Thursday, joined the march and described the day as peaceful, Italian media reported. He is expected to compete in a center-left primary in early 2027. Mayor Giuseppe Sala, in office since 2016, is not seeking another term.