ROME — On Friday, clashes erupted in Turin during protests against the government led by Giorgia Meloni, resulting in at least 15 police officers requiring hospitalization.
The demonstrations took place in numerous cities across Italy, including Rome and Milan, with the organizers branding the event as “No Meloni Day.”
Reports from local authorities indicated that the officers sustained injuries due to exposure to fumes from a makeshift explosive device utilized during the altercations.

The protests were primarily organized by students who are critical of the Meloni administration’s policies, especially in the realm of education.
Many of the protests also included calls to oppose arms sales to Israel and to express solidarity with the people of Gaza.
Tensions escalated in Turin when police attempted to prevent students from breaking through a barricade set up outside the prefecture building in Piazza Castello.

Demonstrators resorted to using flagpoles to strike police vehicles stationed near the public broadcaster RAI, and they set an effigy of Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara ablaze.
Additionally, at the city’s well-known museum of cinema, protesters removed the Italian flag at the entrance and replaced it with a Palestinian flag.

In Milan, during a similar protest, Meloni’s image was defaced with red paint.
Meanwhile, in Rome, protesters were heard chanting phrases such as “Every day is a No-Meloni day.”

In light of the violent events in Turin, Meloni condemned the actions, labeling them as “unacceptable scenes of violence and chaos” orchestrated by the usual culprits.
She extended her condolences to the injured officers through a social media message, urging politicians to speak out against such violence rather than shielding or justifying it.