Italy Braces for New Protests as Organizers Keep Rally Locations Secret

A new wave of demonstrations is expected across Italy on Saturday, October 24, 2026, as the recently formed October 17 Movement announced a change of strategy, replacing previously advertised protest locations with meeting points to be revealed at the last minute.

In Florence, the demonstration had originally been scheduled to take place in Piazza Santa Maria Novella. That location, along with other previously announced gathering places across Italy, has now been withdrawn.

According to a statement published by the movement on social media, organizers will announce three meeting points in each participating city at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. An hour later, at 3:30 p.m., they will reveal the final destination, where the three groups are expected to converge.

The organizers say the new arrangements are intended to make it more difficult for police to concentrate their forces in advance. Participants have been encouraged to move in groups rather than individually.

The announcement comes after serious disturbances in Milan on Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18, when groups of predominantly young protesters clashed with police, smashed shop windows, looted businesses and damaged property in the city centre. Police responded with riot-control measures, including tear gas and water cannons. Similar incidents were reported in other northern Italian cities.

The violence prompted Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government to approve a new security decree on Tuesday, October 20. The measures include a new offence covering organized violence during public demonstrations, expanded preventive detention powers and additional military personnel deployed to Milan.

On Friday, police carried out searches in 18 Italian cities in connection with the previous weekend’s unrest. Investigators identified 100 people, including 51 minors.

The October 17 Movement has criticized the government’s response, describing the new security measures as an attack on the right to protest. In its latest statement, however, it confirmed that Saturday’s demonstrations would go ahead despite the changes to the meeting arrangements.

For Florence, the exact locations of the planned gatherings remain unknown and are expected to be communicated through the movement’s social media channels on Saturday afternoon.

Authorities are preparing for further demonstrations following a weekend of violence that has raised concerns about public safety in several Italian cities.

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