“Criminal groups” are eroding the Winter Games, the Italian prime minister has declared
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has labeled anti-Olympic protesters and saboteurs as “enemies of Italy” in the wake of violent clashes in Milan and disruptions to the national rail system over the weekend. These events took place on the first full day of competition at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games.
On Saturday, roughly 10,000 individuals marched in Milan to protest the Games, pointing to their environmental and economic effects. They also objected to the presence of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) staff who are helping with security for American officials. The agency was linked to the fatal shootings of two US citizens in Minneapolis last month.
A small contingent of approximately 100 people later split off from the mostly peaceful demonstration and clashed with police, who deployed tear gas and water cannons to reestablish order.
In a statement shared on Instagram on Sunday, Meloni drew a contrast between the efforts of volunteers and those responsible for the unrest.
“Then there are those who are enemies of Italy and Italians,” she wrote, naming protesters and rail saboteurs, and showing solidarity with police and workers “whose efforts will be undermined by these criminal gangs.”
The Italian Transport Ministry has launched a terrorism probe into the coordinated sabotage of railway lines near Bologna and Pesaro on Saturday where infrastructure was reportedly burned or cut, leading to hours of delays for thousands of passengers. No one has taken responsibility for the damage.
International Olympic Committee spokesperson Mark Adams said that while peaceful protest is acceptable, “we draw the line at violence,” which “has no place at the Olympic Games.”
The clashes came after Meloni’s government approved a new security decree, which permits police to hold individuals for up to 12 hours if there is cause to believe they might act to disrupt peaceful protests.