New Student Protest: Tensions with Police Near Medici Chapels

Tensions broke out between student demonstrators and police near the Medici Chapels in central Florence on Monday, October 26, 2026, when protesters attempted to break through a police cordon and move towards the San Lorenzo district.

The confrontation lasted more than half an hour, with officers blocking the demonstrators from leaving the previously agreed route. Students pushed against the police line but were prevented from advancing.

Plainclothes officers from Digos, the Italian police division responsible for security and political investigations, held the line as protesters attempted to reach Piazza San Lorenzo and continue towards the cathedral.

Students protest against Education Minister Valditara

The demonstration began in Piazza Santa Maria Novella, where several hundred secondary school students gathered to protest against Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara, who was expected in Florence on Monday afternoon. Teachers and representatives of the CGIL, one of Italy’s main trade union confederations, also joined the march.

Demonstrators carried placards calling for the protection of public education and criticising the minister’s policies. A small number of Palestinian flags were also visible.

Valditara’s visit coincided with the Festival of the Regions, an event bringing together representatives of Italy’s regional governments.

Following the confrontation near the Medici Chapels, discussions between demonstrators and police allowed the march to resume along its authorised route. The protest eventually reached Piazza Indipendenza, where students gathered in the gardens before dispersing.The final stages of the demonstration passed without further incidents.

A new protest after Saturday’s clashes

Monday’s confrontation came just two days after another demonstration in Florence ended in clashes between protesters and police.

On Saturday, October 24, around 1,000 people took part in a protest organised following appeals by the Movimento 17 Ottobre, a movement that has called demonstrations in several Italian cities.

Tensions escalated near Ponte Santa Trinita and Via Tornabuoni, one of Florence’s main shopping streets, when demonstrators attempted to pass through a police cordon. Officers carried out baton charges, while bottles and firecrackers were thrown during the confrontation.

14 young people were taken to police headquarters for identification, and one person was reported to judicial authorities over possession of a firecracker. Some protesters also blocked tram tracks near Santa Maria Novella railway station.

The latest protest also followed a week of student mobilisation in Florence, including occupations of several secondary schools. Student groups have called for increased education funding, improvements to school buildings, measures addressing teachers’ precarious employment and changes to education policies.

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