Italy and France are both turning to their armed forces after a weekend of rioting left streets in Paris and Milan scarred by fire, looting and clashes with police.
In Milan, hundreds of young rioters threw firecrackers, metal barriers and glass bottles at police attempting to hold a public square, forcing officers to retreat. Italian media reported that many of the rioters were first- and second-generation migrants. A video from the unrest showed an Albanian flag being waved amid the violence.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has announced that 500 troops will be deployed to Milan. The country’s deputy prime minister said the troops would be granted police powers, signaling they could take a direct role in confronting demonstrators.
In Paris, roughly a dozen officers facing several hundred demonstrators were unable to make arrests, instead using rubber-bullet launchers and grenades to hold back advancing crowds as they slowly withdrew. The unrest in France has been going on since last month, with schools among the buildings burned and ransacked.
A Fox News Digital investigation found that socialist groups, Islamic advocacy organizations and environmental activists have been involved in the French riots, which financial analysts estimate have caused over $1 billion in damages. Demonstrators in France have also been seen waving Palestinian flags.
France’s gendarmes, who function as military police, already helped contain last weekend’s riots. The country’s interior minister told the legislature on Tuesday that the military presence would increase further.
“We will deploy the Sentinelle force, obviously as a substitute to interior security forces … mostly to free police and gendarmes in their mission to maintain order,” the interior minister said.
Another wave of riots is planned for this coming weekend, and authorities in both countries are bracing for further violence. France is also approaching presidential elections, with some political observers suggesting the unrest could benefit right-wing candidate Marine Le Pen.
