Italian police had to break out the heavy equipment, firing tear gas and a water cannon at dozens of demonstrators who were trying to access a highway near a Winter Olympics venue in Milan on Saturday. The brief, violent skirmish flared up after a massive, mostly peaceful protest had already dispersed, leaving police to deal with a smaller group of aggressive individuals. Six people were arrested following the clashes.
This tense confrontation came at the end of a huge march by thousands of people who were protesting two main issues: the environmental impact of the Games and the presence of ICE agents in Italy. Police estimated that 10,000 people participated in the larger demonstration, carrying homemade signs that read things like “Infernal Olympics” and “Get out of the Games: Genocide States, Fascist Police and Polluting Sponsors.”
