Italy’s Meloni condemns anti-Olympics protesters in Milan

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni slams anti-Olympics protesters as ‘enemies of Italy and Italians’.Published On 8 Feb 2026Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has condemned anti-Olympics protesters as “enemies of Italy and Italians” after violence on the fringes of rallies in Milan and the alleged sabotage of train infrastructure.The International Olympic Committee (IOC) also joined the criticism on Sunday, condemning violence linked to the protests in Milan on Saturday, stating such behaviour has no place at the Games.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Super Bowl drives economic boon in the US ahead of gamelist 2 of 4Italy says cannot join Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ because of constitutionlist 3 of 4Anti-ICE protesters rally in Milan as Winter Olympics get under waylist 4 of 4Vonn crashes out in women’s Olympic downhill; airlifted off mountainend of listThe incidents ⁠happened on the first full day of competition in the Winter Games that Milan is hosting along with the Alpine town of Cortina d’Ampezzo.Meloni praised thousands of Italians who are working to keep the Games running smoothly, many of whom are volunteers.“Then there are those who are enemies of Italy and Italians. The protesters demonstrate ‘against the Olympics,’ causing these images to end up on televisions around the world. After others cut the railway cables to prevent the trains from leaving,” the prime minister wrote in a statement on Facebook on Sunday.The Italian Transport Ministry said that an investigation into suspected “terrorism” had been launched after the railway sabotage near the city of Bologna on Saturday and that those responsible would face a multimillion-euro damages claim.Thousands of people took to the streets in Milan on Saturday to protest against the Olympics’ environmental and social consequences, including concerns over excessive public spending and ecological damage.The march, which began peacefully, turned tense when some protesters set off smoke bombs and firecrackers near Olympic venues. Milan police responded with tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds, leading to clashes in areas close to the Olympic Village and a nearby highway.