Italy: cost-of-living protests turn violent in Milan, over 200 arrests
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Not only in France: in Italy too, demonstrations turned violent on 17 and 18 October.
In this article
The essentials
In Milan, on 17 and 18 October, a demonstration against the cost of living turned violent; police arrested more than 200 people. Similar scenes took place in Bologna and Turin.
Milan, the 17th
The authorised march, of about 5,000 people, was at first peaceful. In the afternoon, young demonstrators clashed violently with police: stones, bottles, fireworks, barricades, burning bins, damaged police vehicles. Shops (Nike, Decathlon…) were looted. Police used water cannon, tear gas and batons. Five young people aged 18 to 30 were hospitalised with minor injuries (ANSA).
The 18th and after
Clashes resumed on the 18th, with masked youths throwing objects at police vehicles. According to ANSA, Milan police have arrested more than 200 people since Saturday. Corriere says the violent groups included many young people from the suburbs and neighbouring provinces. Demonstrators denounce rising prices, low wages and difficulties in education and health.
Reactions from the government and the mayor
Giorgia Meloni called the rioters “thugs”, recalled that demonstrating is a right but burning cities is not, asked the opposition not to be ambiguous and convened a security meeting on the 19th. Milan’s mayor, Giuseppe Sala, described smashed windows, looted shops and frightened citizens, and said it is “a new phenomenon” born of an international context, “what we see in many cities of the world”.
To keep in mind
The number of arrests comes from the ANSA agency. Movements in other countries are not established by this article’s sources.
Learn the grammar
French grammar
Learn sentence patterns and usage from the article’s own sentences.
01The present indicative
est / sont + attribute (noun, adjective, prepositional phrase)
Giorgia Meloni a qualifié les casseurs de « voyous », rappelé que manifester est un droit mais pas incendier les villes, demandé à l’opposition de ne pas être ambiguë et réuni une réunion de sécurité le 19.Key pointsÊtre in the present is est for a singular subject and sont for a plural one. It describes nature, state or place (“is”, “is located”). If what follows (the attribute) is a noun, adjective or prepositional phrase, it is not a passive. If a past participle follows, it is a passive (est annoncé). Headlines and summaries often use the present to describe the current situation.
02The passé composé
present of avoir + past participle
Pas seulement en France : en Italie aussi, des manifestations ont dégénéré les 17 et 18 octobre.Key pointsThe passé composé is the most common past tense, used for “did” and “has done” — actions completed in the past. It is formed with the auxiliary avoir (a / ont…) in the present + a past participle. Past participles of -er verbs end in -é (annoncer → annoncé); learn the irregular ones (faire → fait, prendre → pris, voir → vu). In the negative, ne … pas wraps the auxiliary (n’a pas annoncé). In the news it reports facts that have already happened, such as “announced” or “voted”.
03The imparfait
stem (nous form of the present) + -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient
Le cortège autorisé, d’environ 5 000 personnes, était d’abord pacifique.Key pointsThe imparfait describes states, background, habits and actions in progress in the past (il était, elle avait, ils pensaient). Take the nous form of the present, drop -ons, and add -ais / -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient. If the passé composé gives “the event itself”, the imparfait paints “the situation at the time”.
04The passive voice in the present
être (est / sont) + past participle (+ par / de)
Les mouvements dans d’autres pays ne sont pas établis par les sources de cet article.Key pointsThe passive means “is done” or “is being done”. It is formed with être + past participle, which agrees with the subject in gender and number (la mesure est adoptée / les mesures sont adoptées). The agent is introduced by par (or de). In the news it is common when the event, rather than the actor, is the focus (est prévu / est annoncé / est connu).
05The passive in the passé composé
a / ont été + past participle
Des magasins (Nike, Decathlon…) ont été pillés.Key pointsThe past passive means “was done”. Its form is present of avoir + été (past participle of être) + past participle. Été does not change, but the last participle agrees with the subject in gender and number (la loi a été votée / les textes ont été votés). It is frequent in news reporting results such as votes, decisions and announcements.
06Negation and its scope
ne / n’ … pas · ne … plus
Giorgia Meloni a qualifié les casseurs de « voyous », rappelé que manifester est un droit mais pas incendier les villes, demandé à l’opposition de ne pas être ambiguë et réuni une réunion de sécurité le 19.Key pointsNormally ne and pas wrap the verb. Before a vowel, ne becomes n’. Check which part of the sentence the negation covers. Ne … plus means “no longer”.
07Citing a source with selon
selon + noun / organisation
Selon l’ANSA, la police de Milan a arrêté plus de 200 personnes depuis samedi.Key pointsSelon means “according to”. Put a person or organisation after it as the source. It separates facts the writer checked directly from what another body or report said. Citing a source does not turn a forecast into an accomplished fact.
08Delimiting an interval
de … à … / du … au …
Cinq jeunes de 18 à 30 ans ont été hospitalisés pour des blessures légères (ANSA).Key pointsDe…à… shows the start and end, “from … to …”, and is also used for changes in figures. With dates, de + le becomes du and à + le becomes au, giving forms like du 13 au 15. Check whether the interval concerns dates, times or amounts.
09Marking a starting point
dès / depuis / à partir de + point in time
Selon l’ANSA, la police de Milan a arrêté plus de 200 personnes depuis samedi.Key pointsDès means “as early as” or “as soon as”, and à partir de means “from … onwards”. Depuis basically shows a state or period continuing from a point in time. All deal with a start, but they are not used the same way.
10Marking an opposition or a reservation
mais / cependant / toutefois / en revanche
Giorgia Meloni a qualifié les casseurs de « voyous », rappelé que manifester est un droit mais pas incendier les villes, demandé à l’opposition de ne pas être ambiguë et réuni une réunion de sécurité le 19.Key pointsThese continue with something that contrasts with the preceding content, or a reservation to note. Mais is the widely usable “but” and en revanche stresses the contrast. After the connector, information may come that corrects the first impression.
Japanese grammar
Understand the structure and usage from the text.
01Polite negation and plain form
〜ではありません / 〜ではない
フランスだけではありません。Key pointsThey negate a noun and similar content. “ではありません” is the polite form and “ではない” the plain form. “成立ではありません” shows that it cannot be said to have been concluded.
02Giving examples with など
noun / expression + など
ナイキやデカトロンなどの店が略奪されました。Key points“暴言など” gives “abusive language” as one example. It is not necessarily a closed list of only the things named. It also helps when reading the scope of a news story.
03The polite past ました
verb stem (連用形) + ました
イタリアでも、17日と18日に、デモが暴力的になりました。Key pointsIn “発表しました”, ました makes a verb polite past. The negative is “ませんでした”. Read the actual date together with the date and time in the text.
04Quoting with と: content and report
plain-form sentence + と + verbe de parole (報じる, 説明する…)
救急は、18〜30歳の5人が軽いけがで病院に運ばれたと伝えています（ANSA）。Key pointsと takes the content that is reported or explained. In “改定する方針だと報じました”, “改定する方針だ” is what the report said. Separating the content from who said it and how makes long sentences easier to read.
05Treating a clause like a noun with こと
plain-form sentence + こと + particle
メローニ首相は、暴れた人を「ごろつき」と呼び、「デモは権利だが、街に火をつけることは違う」と述べました。Key points“〜すること” treats an action or content like a noun. The particle after it (が・を・は…) shows its role in the sentence. “ことができる” is a fixed combination meaning “can”.
06Linking actions with the て-form
verb て-form + next expression
ミラノの警察は、土曜から200人以上を逮捕したと、ANSAは伝えています。Key pointsThe て-form links actions in a series, in order or as a reason. In “確認して、出発する” the relation is judged from the content. In “〜ている” it can show an action in progress or a continuing state.