Overview
- The Lega-led march, which reached Piazza Duomo on Saturday, featured Matteo Salvini and European far-right leaders and focused on tougher immigration rules and criticism of EU budget and green policies.
- Police put the turnout at about 2,000 people, after organizers spoke of up to 10,000 in the square.
- Three counter-protests set off from Piazza Lima, Piazza Tricolore and Piazza Argentina and then merged near the courthouse before heading to Piazza Santo Stefano.
- Tensions spiked near San Babila and via Borgogna as officers used water cannons and tear gas when some protesters threw bottles, firecrackers and smoke flares.
- Authorities shut the Duomo and Palestro metro stations and ringed the center with police, and the day also laid bare coalition strains as Forza Italia backed a separate sit-in for second-generation Italians at the Arco della Pace.