Tear gas, water cannon deployed as Italian police break up Winter Olympics protest

Italian police used tear gas and water cannons on Saturday, February 7, to disperse protesters near a key Winter Olympics venue in Milan after a largely peaceful demonstration turned tense.

Thousands of people had earlier marched through the city in a calm protest against the environmental, social and economic impact of hosting the Winter Games. Families with children, students and activists walked together, carrying placards and chanting slogans critical of Olympic-related construction and public spending.

The situation escalated later in the evening when a smaller group of masked demonstrators broke away from the main march, according to authorities. Police said the group threw firecrackers and attempted to move towards a nearby highway close to the Santagiulia Olympic ice hockey arena, prompting security forces to intervene.

Officers erected barricades and deployed tear gas and water cannons to prevent the protesters from advancing. The confrontation was brief and contained, with police maintaining control of the area. By that stage, most participants from the larger march had already dispersed.

Tensions had been rising earlier in the day after protesters ignited smoke bombs and fireworks from a bridge overlooking a construction site about 800 metres from the Olympic Village. The village is currently housing around 1,500 athletes, heightening security concerns.

Police vans and temporary metal fencing were positioned along access roads leading to the athletes’ village, while a heavy police presence accompanied the protest route towards the Santagiulia venue. Authorities said there was no disruption to athlete movement or the Olympic schedule, with events continuing as planned on the outskirts of Milan.

The protest coincided with a visit by U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who led the American delegation at the Winter Games opening ceremony on Friday. Some demonstrators also voiced opposition to the presence of U.S. security personnel in Italy as part of their broader critique.

The march was organised by the Unsustainable Olympics Committee, a coalition of grassroots sports organisations, environmental groups, housing activists, trade unions, pro-Palestinian networks and transfeminist collectives. The unrest comes amid a separate investigation by Italian authorities into a series of incidents along railway lines in northern Italy, which officials fear may involve coordinated acts of sabotage, increasing security concerns during the high-profile international event.