Italian police used tear gas and a water cannon on Sunday after a small group of protesters turned violent near a Winter Olympics venue, following what had largely been a peaceful demonstration in Milan.
According to a report by Associated Press, authorities said dozens of demonstrators threw firecrackers and attempted to access a highway near the Santagiulia Olympic ice hockey rink. Police intervened and prevented them from reaching the venue. By that time, the main protest, attended by thousands of people, including families and students, had already dispersed.
Earlier in the day, masked protesters set off smoke bombs and firecrackers on a bridge overlooking a construction site about 800 metres from the Olympic Village, which is housing around 1500 athletes. Police vehicles and temporary fencing secured access roads to the athletes’ village, while officers maintained a strong presence along the protest route, Associated Press has reported.
Officials said there was no indication that the protest or road closures disrupted athletes travelling to events on the outskirts of Milan.
The demonstration took place during US Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Milan, where he attended the Winter Olympics opening ceremony on Saturday as head of the American delegation. He later visited Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper with his family in the city centre, far from the protest site, as reported by Associated Press.
According to Associated Press, protesters voiced concerns about the environmental impact of Olympic construction projects and opposed the presence of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents providing security for the US delegation.
US Homeland Security Investigations, a unit focused on cross-border crimes, often deploys officers to international events like the Olympics to assist with security, while the immigration enforcement division is not expected to operate in Italy.
Police estimated around 10,000 people participated in the larger peaceful demonstration. Protesters carried cardboard cutouts symbolising trees cut down to build a new bobsled track in Cortina, while music, drumming and performances accompanied the march.
“Let’s take back the cities and free the mountains,” read a banner by a group calling itself the Unsustainable Olympic Committee, Associated Press has quoted.
Another group, the Association of Proletariat Excursionists, organised the symbolic display of trees.
According to Associated Press, “They bypassed the laws that usually are needed for major infrastructure project, citing urgency for the Games,” said protester Guido Maffioli, who expressed concern that the private entity organising the Games would eventually pass on debt to Italian taxpayers.
According to Associated Press, some demonstrators carried signs reading “Get out of the Games: Genocide States, Fascist Police and Polluting Sponsors,” while one protester wore an artificial tree on her back labelled “Infernal Olympics.” The protest followed a similar demonstration the previous week against the deployment of ICE agents linked to the US delegation’s security.
As with earlier demonstrations, organisers said their opposition centred on the presence of ICE personnel, despite official statements that only a small number of investigative officers would remain within US diplomatic areas and would not conduct operations on Italian streets, as reported by Associated Press.