Tens of thousands joined a nationwide Italian strike demanding better wages, services and living conditions. The protests also challenged military spending and the use of commercial ports for arms shipments.

Tens of thousands of students, workers and trade union members took to the streets across Italy on Friday, demanding better wages, improved public services and relief from the rising cost of living. Demonstrators also opposed increased military expenditure and the use of ports for transporting weapons to conflict zones.

The nationwide demonstrations were organised as part of a 24-hour general strike called by grassroots trade union Unione Sindacale di Base (USB), with protests planned in more than 40 cities.

While most demonstrations remained peaceful, tensions surfaced in several places, with police using water cannons to disperse crowds and prevent protesters from breaching security barricades. The protests came weeks after violent clashes earlier this month in which demonstrators fought with police, looted shops and damaged public property.

POLICE USE WATER CANNONS AS PROTESTS SPREAD ACROSS CITIES

In Turin, police deployed water cannons to push back students and left-wing activists who approached security barricades set up around the prefecture building.

In Rome, a large procession passed near the Colosseum, where protesters announced plans to pitch tents and remain at the site over the weekend. Some demonstrators placed rubbish bins across roads and set them on fire.

Tensions escalated later in the evening when a large group attempted to march towards parliament. Police responded with water cannons to disperse the crowd, Italian news agency ANSA reported. Eight people were detained after repeatedly attempting to break through police barricades, the agency said.

In Milan, demonstrators marched onto the city’s ring road before concluding their procession outside the Politecnico di Milano university. Protesters carried flares and set fire to objects during the demonstration.

THOUSANDS OF PORT WORKERS JOIN ANTI-ARMS SHIPMENT PROTESTS

One of the largest gatherings took place in the port city of Genoa, where around 15,000 port workers, students and other demonstrators entered the port area.

Their protest was part of a wider movement in Europe and other regions opposing the use of commercial ports to facilitate arms shipments to conflict zones. Demonstrators also drew attention to the deaths of seafarers caught up in conflicts stretching from the Gulf to the Black Sea.

COST OF LIVING FUELS PROTESTS ACROSS EUROPE

The demonstrations in Italy are part of a broader wave of protests that has spread across several European countries, including France, Spain, Belgium and Albania.

Rising living costs, demands for better wages and concerns over public services have featured prominently in the protests, alongside opposition to higher military spending.

Friday’s nationwide strike brought together students, workers and activists around demands for improved economic conditions and a shift in government spending priorities.

With inputs from Reuters