Milan mayor backs three-month military deployment to curb unrest

In response to the disorder that erupted over the weekend, Milan’s mayor Beppe Sala announced that 500 soldiers will be deployed in the city, a step he describes as unavoidable and temporary, lasting three months according to the decree. He argues that the existing police presence was inadequate and that the only viable option is to increase security forces to safeguard citizens. Sala highlighted President Sergio Mattarella’s decisive stance, which allowed the creation of a fully democratic security arrangement centered on law-enforcement agencies.

While acknowledging student protests, he distinguishes them from violent actions and attributes the unrest to a growing economic divide and the damaging role of social-media platforms, calling on figures like Mark Zuckerberg to assume responsibility. The mayor also condemned the national government’s failure to allocate resources directly to municipalities or launch a national adolescent-focused plan, noting that Italian mayors receive less attention than their French counterparts.