ITALY PROTESTS: Meloni Deploys 500 Soldiers as Cost-of-Living Anger Fuels Unrest | Times Now World

Italy is going on high alert as cost of living anger threatens to spill onto the streets. Thousands of police officers and soldiers are preparing for nationwide protests on October 24th with authorities fearing a repeat of the October 17th and 18th violence that targeted shops and law enforcement. More than 30 protest actions are planned across cities including Rome, Milan, Turin, Bologna, Genoa and Florence. Is Italy heading into another weekend of street turmoil? Rome is preparing for a major security lockdown, with around 10 to 1500 officers set to patrol public squares and railway stations. Police drones and Carabinieri aircraft will support surveillance as authorities prepare for both authorised demonstrations and spontaneous rallies announced online. Rome's Cyber Security Center is also monitoring social media alongside Digos, Italy's specialized police division. With the streets and digital platforms under scrutiny, authorities are preparing for unrest on multiple fronts. The threat is not confined to the streets. According to Euronews, guides circulating on Telegram, TikTok and Instagram reportedly advise protesters on preparing for clashes with police including carrying water painkillers and vinegar to mitigate tear gas effects the circulation of such material is adding to official concerns as Italy prepares for another volatile day of demonstrations Milan is preparing to deploy around 1 800 security personnel including 500 soldiers Drones will monitor marches, authorized demonstrations will be kept away from the Duomo, and protests are banned in the Garibaldi and Porta Venezia districts. In Turin, activists and students are expected to march from Piazza Arbarello at 2 pm. The scale of the preparations raises a pressing question. Can authorities contain the anger without fresh confrontations? The crackdown following earlier unrest is also intensifying. On Friday, Digos conducted searches targeting around 100 people, including 51 minors, across several cities, among them Bari, Bergamo, Florence, Genoa and Verona. With cost of living anger, fueling mobilization and security forces on heightened alert, Italy faces a tense test. Will Saturday bring peaceful protest or another eruption of street violence?