Italian Police Clash With Protesters Near Winter Olympics Venue in Milan

Italian police on Saturday used tear gas and water cannons to disperse dozens of protesters who threw firecrackers and attempted to reach a highway near a Winter Olympics venue in Milan.

The brief confrontation followed a largely peaceful march involving thousands of demonstrators protesting the environmental impact of the Games and the presence of US security agents in Italy. Authorities prevented the group from accessing the Santagiulia Olympic ice hockey rink, while most peaceful protesters, including families and students, had already dispersed.

Earlier in the day, masked demonstrators set off smoke bombs and firecrackers on a bridge overlooking a construction site near the Olympic Village, which houses around 1,500 athletes. Police secured access routes with vans and metal barriers, maintaining a strong presence along the protest route.

Despite temporary road closures, officials said the protest did not disrupt athletes’ travel to competition venues on the outskirts of Milan.

The demonstration coincided with US Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Milan as head of the American delegation attending Friday’s opening ceremony. While protesters criticized the presence of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, Vance and his family were visiting Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper in central Milan, far from the protest site.

US Homeland Security Investigations, an ICE unit focused on cross-border crime, often deploys officers overseas for major events. Italian authorities said no officers from ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations unit were involved.

Police estimated the peaceful portion of the protest at around 10,000 participants. Demonstrators carried cardboard trees symbolizing deforestation linked to Olympic construction, particularly the new bobsled run in Cortina. Dancers, drummers, and protest music accompanied the march.

Banners and signs criticized environmental damage, policing, and corporate sponsorship. One banner read, “Let’s take back the cities and free the mountains,” while another accused organizers of bypassing regulations for infrastructure projects.

Protester Guido Maffioli said organizers had used emergency powers to fast-track construction and warned that financial losses could eventually fall on taxpayers.

The protest followed a similar demonstration last week opposing the deployment of US agents. Despite official statements that only a small number of investigative officers would operate within diplomatic zones, protesters said they remained concerned about their presence.

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