Italy protests: Indian nationals in Italy advised to exercise caution, avoid crowded areas

The Embassy of India in Rome has advised Indian nationals in Italy to exercise caution and avoid crowded areas and locations where protests are taking place, following demonstrations and clashes with police in several Italian cities.In an advisory, the embassy said protests and demonstrations had taken place in some Italian cities last week and urged Indians to follow local news for updates on such events.“In case of any emergency, Indian nationals can contact,” the embassy said, providing emergency contact numbers for the Embassy of India in Rome and the Consulate General of India in Milan.Indian nationals in Italy can contact the following helplines in an emergency:- Embassy of India, Rome: +39 331 614 2085- Consulate General of India, Milan: +39 3881647527Milan shops shut early amid fears of fresh unrestThe advisory comes as shops in central Milan closed early on Monday, fearing another wave of unrest after two days of protests in which demonstrators clashed with police, looted stores and vandalised property.Several stores in Milan’s Via Montenapoleone luxury shopping district, home to brands such as Chanel, Tiffany and Dior, removed merchandise from their windows as a precaution.Hundreds of hooded protesters, many believed to be minors, reportedly set bins on fire and looted shops in the city centre over the weekend.

The violence followed an initially peaceful demonstration on Saturday over poor public services and rising living costs.Sports retailers Decathlon and Arc'teryx, along with mobile phone operator Vodafone, were among the businesses reportedly ransacked. Retailers including Levi’s and Under Armour, as well as Decathlon, covered their shop windows with cardboard and wooden panels.Giorgia Meloni condemns violence, government considers tougher measuresItalian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Monday (October 19) condemned the violence during protests in several Italian cities and called on opposition parties to unequivocally denounce the unrest.Meloni, who faces a national election next year, chaired a meeting with ministers and security chiefs to discuss the situation after demonstrators clashed with police, damaged property and disrupted public services.While expressing respect for thousands of people who demonstrated peacefully, Meloni criticised violent incidents in Milan, Turin and Bologna, including attacks on law enforcement officers and damage that forced the interruption of a procession in Milan and the precautionary closure of a railway station in Bologna.“Demonstrating is a right.

Setting our cities ablaze is not,” Meloni wrote in a social media post, urging all demonstrations to remain peaceful.In a separate post on Sunday (October 18), the Italy PM expressed solidarity with police officers who faced violence during the protests and thanked them for protecting citizens, workers and shopkeepers.Hundreds detained after Milan clashesItalian police said they had detained 271 young people during Sunday's unrest in Milan.

Of those taken to police stations, 32 were arrested, including 23 minors and 13 foreign nationals, police said on Monday. A further 28 people were reported to judicial authorities.The unrest followed clashes on Saturday in Milan and other northern Italian cities, including Bologna, Brescia, Bergamo and Turin. According to a police report released on Sunday, 28 protesters were arrested during those incidents.The disturbances echoed unrest in neighbouring France, where hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets on Saturday over rising living costs and declining public services.

The demonstrations were among the country's most violent in years.(With Reuters, AP inputs)