PHOTO Olympics under siege: Arrests in Milan after violent protests and suspicions of railway sabotage on the first day of the competition
Violence in Milan, February 7, 2026. Credit line: Davide Canella / Zuma Press / Profimedia
Several people were arrested in Milan on Saturday after a violent anti-Olympics and anti-cost of living protest in which thousands took part. In parallel, the rail network in northern Italy was the target of suspected sabotage attacks, causing massive delays on the very first day of the Games, according to the BBC.
Six people were detained by law enforcement after the demonstration in Milan, which started peacefully, degenerated into violence. A group of demonstrators attacked the police with stones and torches, at which point the authorities intervened using water cannons to disperse the crowd.
Saturday's incidents come after the government tightened protest laws on Thursday, allowing pre-trial detention for up to 12 hours. The move was accelerated following last weekend's violence in Turin, where more than 100 police officers were injured.
Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini described those involved in the clashes in Milan as “criminals” and said he was proud to promote the new package of security measures that “will allow even more effective interventions against hooligans and criminals”.
In parallel with the tensions in the host city, the authorities are investigating an alleged sabotage of the railway network in northern Italy. Chaos ensued after a fire damaged the infrastructure between Bologna and Venice. Police later found cut cables and a crude explosive device left near a railway line.
The Olympics are “no longer sustainable”
Although thousands of people marched peacefully through Milan, many expressed their displeasure with the future of the competition. Francesca Missana, one of the participants, explained to the AFP agency that the Olympic Games “are no longer sustainable from an ecological or social point of view”, saying that the time of this organizational model has expired.
“These Games were promoted as sustainable and cost-neutral,” protest organizer Alberto di Monte told AFP. He added that because the Games were held in multiple locations, billions were spent on roads instead of protecting the mountains.
The Ministry of Transport described these incidents as “suspected sabotage”. Officials added that the attacks mirror acts of vandalism since the start of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“These actions of unprecedented gravity in no way affect Italy's image in the world, an image that the Olympics will make even more convincing,” Salvini said on Saturday.
The Winter Olympics run until February 22 in several locations, from Milan to the resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo, the Dolomite regions of Predazzo and Tesero, and the Alpine resorts of Livigno and Bormio.
