Six people have been arrested after police clashed with protesters in Milan, one of the hosts of the Winter Olympic Games, during the first day of the competition.
Thousands took to the streets of the city in northern Italy on Saturday to protest against a range of issues including the cost of living. Some fired flares and threw stones at police, who responded with water cannon.
It comes after the government tightened protest laws in the wake of a demonstration last weekend in Turin that left more than 100 officers injured, according to government figures.
Meanwhile, officials are investigating suspected sabotage on northern Italy's railway network on Saturday.
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini described those involved in confrontations in Milan as criminals. He stated, Just days after the shameful violence in Turin, more clashes, more attacks on law enforcement. Salvini also asserted that the government has implemented a new security package designed to enhance measures against unrest.
The Turin demonstration, which was called in response to the eviction of an unofficial social centre, started peacefully but turned violent when armed groups confronted police, leading to over 30 arrests.
One officer was attacked with a hammer, an incident Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni referred to as attempted murder. The new security package allows police to detain suspected troublemakers for up to 12 hours before demonstrations, a move some critics call repressive.
Most participants in the Milan protest, however, marched peacefully. Francesca Missana, a protester, emphasized concerns regarding the environmental and social sustainability of the Olympics, indicating that the costs have outweighed the perceived benefits.
Saturday also saw disruptions to Italy's northern rail networks due to suspected sabotage, including severed cables and a fire affecting infrastructure between Bologna and Venice.
The Winter Olympics, taking place until February 22, are being hosted at multiple locations including Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.
