The Embassy of India in Rome has advised Indian nationals in Italy to exercise caution and avoid crowded areas and locations where protests are taking place, following demonstrations and clashes with police in several Italian cities.
In an , the embassy said last week and urged Indians to follow local news for updates on such events.
“In case of any emergency, Indian nationals can contact,” the embassy said, providing emergency contact numbers for the and the Consulate General of India in Milan.
Indian nationals in Italy can contact the following helplines in an emergency:
– Embassy of India, Rome: +39 331 614 2085
– Consulate General of India, Milan: +39 3881647527
The advisory comes as shops in central Milan closed early on Monday, fearing another wave of unrest after two days of protests in which demonstrators clashed with police, and vandalised property.
Several stores in Milan’s Via Montenapoleone luxury shopping district, home to brands such as Chanel, Tiffany and Dior, removed merchandise from their windows as a precaution.
over the weekend. The violence followed an initially peaceful demonstration on Saturday over poor public services and rising living costs.
Sports retailers Decathlon and Arc’teryx, along with mobile phone operator Vodafone, were among the businesses reportedly ransacked. Retailers including Levi’s and Under Armour, as well as Decathlon, covered their shop windows with cardboard and wooden panels.
Italian Prime Minister on Monday (October 19) condemned the violence during protests in several Italian cities and called on opposition parties to unequivocally denounce the unrest.
, who faces a national election next year, chaired a meeting with ministers and security chiefs to discuss the situation after demonstrators clashed with police, damaged property and disrupted public services.
While expressing respect for thousands of people who demonstrated peacefully, criticised violent incidents in Milan, Turin and Bologna, including attacks on law enforcement officers and damage that forced the interruption of a procession in Milan and the precautionary closure of a railway station in Bologna.
“Demonstrating is a right. Setting our cities ablaze is not,” , urging all demonstrations to remain peaceful.
In a separate post on Sunday (October 18), the and thanked them for protecting citizens, workers and shopkeepers.
Italian police said they had detained 271 young people during Sunday’s unrest in Milan. Of those taken to police stations, 32 were arrested, including 23 minors and 13 foreign nationals, police said on Monday. A further 28 people were reported to judicial authorities.
The unrest followed clashes on Saturday in Milan and other northern Italian cities, including Bologna, Brescia, Bergamo and Turin. According to a police report released on Sunday, 28 protesters were arrested during those incidents.
The disturbances echoed unrest in neighbouring and declining public services. The demonstrations were among the country’s most violent in years.
(With Reuters, AP inputs)
