Milan's Via Montenapoleone empties its windows as luxury shops brace for new unrest

Milan’s most famous luxury shopping street looked unusually bare on Monday, 19 October. Most stores on Via Montenapoleone, home to brands including Chanel, Tiffany and Dior, took merchandise out of their windows as a precaution while police patrolled and a handful of tourists looked on, Reuters reported.

Weekend of looting

Several hundred hooded protesters, many believed to be minors, set bins on fire and looted shops in central Milan over the weekend after an initially peaceful demonstration on Saturday against poor public services and rising costs. Stores ransacked included sports retailers Decathlon and Arc’teryx and a Vodafone shop, according to TV footage cited by Reuters. Clothing brands such as Levi’s and Under Armour covered their windows with cardboard and wooden panels, and shops in the centre closed early on Monday.

Police said 271 young people were detained during Sunday’s unrest; 32 were arrested, including 23 minors.

Troops for the fashion capital

Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said the government would send 500 army troops to “defend Milan”. ANSA reported that the cabinet was set to approve the deployment, with police powers, as part of a security package on Tuesday. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence, and Corriere della Sera reported that measures against youth gangs were being considered.

The unrest echoed violent cost-of-living protests in France. BoF also reported that second-hand marketplace Vinted faced an influx of suspected looted goods after the French riots; a spokesperson said the company had “taken immediate action to identify and remove listings linked to the looting”.