Violent confrontations have erupted between protesters and law enforcement across several major Italian cities and in central Barcelona, as authorities utilized tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds engaged in setting fires and hurling projectiles. In Italy, the unrest prompted police to deploy tear gas in Turin after demonstrators targeted security personnel with bottles and fireworks. Similar scenes played out in Rome, where officers used water cannons and tear gas against protesters throwing bottles during a street march. In Bologna, police forced back crowds following volleys of firecrackers and bottles, while security cordons were established to prevent demonstrators from entering the central districts of Milan and Florence.
Beyond immediate crowd control, Italian police conducted over 150 property searches across Milan, neighboring Monza, and 20 other cities. These operations were linked to investigations into earlier protests, focusing on alleged plots to commit arson, damage vehicles, and attack officers, according to the ANSA news agency. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi confirmed that security has been bolstered in sensitive urban areas and emphasized that authorities would respond firmly to the violence.
In Spain, a youth-led protest in central Barcelona escalated into significant disorder. Hundreds of demonstrators, dressed in black, gathered at Catalonia Square under the hashtag "Institut Indignats," a movement inspired by the French "Lycees Indignes" protests. The demonstration turned violent as some participants looted shops, ignited rubbish bins, and threw stones and bottles at police lines. The violence occurred near a long-standing encampment focused on housing rights, situated among local residents and tourists. As police charged the crowd, demonstrators dispersed into side streets, resulting in multiple arrests and several injuries. Barcelona’s municipal police, the Guardia Urbana, closed several central thoroughfares while local shopkeepers secured their premises to prevent vandalism. Salvador Illa, president of the Catalan regional government, condemned the events on the X platform, stating that acts of violence and damage are not democratic rights and that those responsible will face consequences.
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