Milan Olympics protest linked to railway investigation

Anti-Olympic protesters marched peacefully through Milan on Saturday afternoon, holding signs, marching arm-in-arm, singing, and dancing. Later that evening, the demonstration turned violent as some protesters targeted police and their vans, prompting officials to respond with tear gas and water cannons. Separately, authorities are investigating a series of incidents on rail lines in northern Italy that they fear could be coordinated sabotage.

Protests and Clashes in Milan

Anti-Olympic protesters marched peacefully through Milan on Saturday afternoon, holding signs, marching arm-in-arm, singing, and dancing. When night fell, the demonstration turned violent as some protesters targeted police and their vans, and officials responded with tear gas and water cannons.

The protest march against Olympics organizers drew groups from Milan, Lombardy, and the rest of northern Italy. Demonstrators voiced opposition to the environmental impacts of constructing Olympic venues, as well as what they describe as the “economic and social harm” caused by the Games. The march was organized by the Unsustainable Olympics Committee, which mobilized a wide coalition of grassroots sports groups, civic and environmental movements, students, housing activists, combative unions, pro‑Palestine networks, and transfeminist collectives. Protesters also spoke out against the Italian government’s “authoritarian security drift” and treatment of racial minorities.

The Winter Olympics 2026 officially began Friday with a star-studded opening ceremony at the famed San Siro stadium in Milan that celebrated Italy’s rich art and culture and featured Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and American singer Mariah Carey.

After marching from Piazza Medaglie d’Oro, the protesters passed near the Olympic Village, which was secured by a large police cordon. Some demonstrators threw firecrackers and smoke bombs toward the athletes’ housing, though the buildings were far enough away that none of the objects reached them. The march then diverted onto Via Benaco, moving away from the Village, with clashes beginning when the protest reached Piazzale Corvetto. A smaller group of protesters threw fireworks at police, who responded with a charge. Demonstrators later targeted police vans with additional fireworks. Officers deployed water cannons and tear gas in response. Not all protesters joined in the clashes with authorities, with many demonstrators remaining in the main area of the square.

Rail Line Incidents and Investigation

In the northern Italian city of Bologna, railway networks suffered severe disruptions Saturday, with fears of a “premeditated attack” on the Bologna railway lines, according to the country’s transport minister. Three separate incidents of damage were uncovered, including the discovery of a rudimentary explosive device on a switch of the Bologna-Padova line. Electrical cables on a high-speed line were also severed, and a fire was started at an electrical cabin in the Adriatic town of Pesaro.

Investigators are not ruling out sabotage carried out by anarchists, citing similarities to the sabotage that targeted the French network during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Infrastructure and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, speaking from Bormio where he was attending the men’s downhill ski race, strongly condemned the events as an “act of delinquency.” “If it is confirmed that the interruption on the high-speed line is the result of a premeditated attack, on the first day of the Olympics, let’s say that someone wishes ill upon Italy,” Salvini said.

Government Response

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni slammed the protesters as “enemies of Italy and Italians” in a social media post that showed US media coverage of the demonstrations. She said, “Solidarity, once again, with the police, the city of Milan, and all those who will see their work undermined by these gangs of criminals.”