Chaos in Italy: 200 people arrested in clashes with police VIDEO

The unrest began on Saturday on the sidelines of an authorized protest over the cost of living, but escalated into violence, looting, and property destruction.

According to Euronews, police used tear gas and water cannons on Sunday to disperse the crowds, while protesters—mostly young people, many of them with their faces covered—threw various objects at police vehicles.

Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala said he had seen smashed shop windows, looted stores, and frightened residents.

“What we have witnessed here is happening in many cities around the world. I am deeply concerned because this is a new phenomenon linked to broader international circumstances,” he told the ANSA news agency.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called a security meeting for today in response to the violence, which has prompted comparisons with scenes of chaos in Paris.

She described the rioters as “hooligans who exploit protests to sow chaos, attack those responsible for maintaining public safety, and hold entire cities hostage.”