Italy

Rome, October 17, 2026. The Italian press has been covering the day of mobilization on Saturday, October 17, since its early hours, and its account is dominated by public order. ANSA speaks of a "giornata di fuoco" and Adnkronos of a France that "esplode contro il caro vita", with tear gas and assaults "from Paris to Marseille".

The context is quickly set: according to Adnkronos, students, unions, militants, and supporters of the Gilets jaunes are protesting against the rise in the cost of living, fuel prices, and the deterioration of public services. Libero, quoting the askanews agency, mentions around 1,500 announced initiatives on a dedicated website, while recalling that these figures do not allow us to predict how many people will actually take to the streets. ANSA, citing the same website, counts more than 1,750. La Repubblica, through the pen of its correspondent Anaïs Ginori, situates the day "six months from the presidential election" and reports the slogan "Prendiamo la Bastiglia".

The details of the incidents occupy the bulk of the dispatches. In Paris, the police used tear gas in the Place de la République; Repubblica already counts over 100 arrests in the capital, Adnkronos at least 166 on the territory according to Le Parisien. In Marseille, protesters burst into the city hall lobby; in Lyon, a branch of the tourism office was looted and set on fire. ANSA relays Le Figaro on the blockade of CNews premises by about a hundred people, media designated as "enemy propaganda channels" in the discussion groups of the protesters.

The official word is mostly that of Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. Libero reports that he feared "uncontrollable actions", that he had warned that blockages of strategic axes would not be tolerated and that the police could use stun grenades in case of serious violence. Adnkronos signals a meeting of the crisis unit at Place Beauvau at 6 pm, with the offices of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin.

Shopkeepers provide the recurring image: Parisian storefronts protected by wooden panels, painful memories of the previous Gilets jaunes. ANSA nuances the morning picture, however: the blockages recorded remained lower than what was announced the day before, with limited dispersals in Lyon, Rennes, and Marseille.