Anti-Olympic protesters marched peacefully through Milan on Saturday afternoon, holding placards, linking arms, singing and dancing. However, as night fell, the demonstrations turned violent, with some demonstrators targeting police and their vans, and authorities responding with tear gas and water cannon. The move comes as authorities separately investigate a series of incidents on railway tracks in northern Italy that authorities fear may be coordinated sabotage.
Groups from Lombardy and other regions of northern Italy took part in the protest march against Olympic organizers. Demonstrators voiced opposition to the environmental impact of Olympic venue construction and what they described as the “economic and social damage” caused by the Games.
The march was organized by an activist group called the Committee for an Unsustainable Olympic Games and mobilized a broad coalition of grassroots sports organizations, civil and environmental movements, students, housing activists, militant trade unions, pro-Palestinian networks, and transfeminist groups.
They have also spoken out against the Italian government’s “authoritarian security drift” and treatment of racial minorities more broadly.
The 2026 Winter Olympics officially opened yesterday with a star-studded opening ceremony at Milan’s famous San Siro stadium, celebrating Italy’s rich arts and culture and featuring appearances by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and American singer Mariah Carey.
The demonstrators marched from Piazza Medalier d’Oro before passing near the Olympic Village, which was guarded by a large police cordon. Some demonstrators threw firecrackers and smoke bombs at the athletes’ residence. The buildings were far enough apart that no object could actually reach them.
The march then turned to the left onto Calle Benaco, moving away from the village, and clashes began once the protests reached Place Corbett. A small group of protesters threw fireworks at police, who responded with charges. Demonstrators then targeted a police van with additional fireworks. Police responded with water cannon and tear gas.
Not all demonstrators took part in the clashes with authorities, and many remained in the main areas of the square.
Train networks in the northern Italian city of Bologna were severely disrupted on Saturday, with the country’s transport minister saying there were fears of a “planned attack” on Bologna train lines.
Three separate incidents were discovered, including the discovery of a rudimentary explosive device at a switch on the Bologna-Padua line, according to the Italian railway network Ferrovi dello Stato and Ansa news agency.
High-speed power lines were also cut and a fire broke out in a power distribution room in the Adriatic town of Pesaro, the railway network said.
Investigators have not ruled out sabotage by anarchists, drawing similarities to the sabotage during the 2024 Paris Olympics, when France’s high-speed rail lines were targeted by arson and other nefarious acts.
Infrastructure and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, speaking from Bormio where he was watching the men’s downhill ski race, strongly condemned the incident as an “act of misconduct”.
“Suppose someone were to say bad things about Italy on the first day of the Olympics if it was confirmed that the high-speed rail disruption was the result of a planned attack,” Salvini said.
