Italian student protests over living costs and education funding turn violent in several cities

Student protests over school conditions and the cost of living spread across Italy on 16 October, with clashes between police and some demonstrators in several cities. The unrest reflects wider student protests in France and Belgium and has put education funding, defence spending and government policy in focus.

Protesters in Rome threw firecrackers and smoke bombs near the Education Ministry, while police used water cannon in Turin, where demonstrators threw rocks and burned a cardboard tank. Students also called for limits on foreign enrolments and for more public money to go to education rather than defence; some teachers joined the marches. Nato data cited in the article puts Italy’s 2025 defence spending above €45 billion, nearly 40 per cent higher than in 2024, while education spending fell from 4.3 to 4.1 per cent of GDP.