BOLOGNA, ITALY – OCTOBER 24, 2026: Demonstrators gathered in Piazza del Nettuno on Saturday to protest against rising living costs and the policies of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government, following calls for mobilisation by the October 17 Movement.
The gathering brought together university students, activists from collectives and social centres, and other participants. More than 1,000 people had assembled by late afternoon, according to Italian media reports.
Participants initially held a peaceful public assembly, discussing economic hardship and expressing solidarity with Palestinians. Flags and banners accompanied speeches, while some demonstrators called for the government’s resignation.
Nikolas Parisis’s photographs document the gathering and its participants. In one image, two women hold a USB trade-union poster advertising a general strike on October 30, highlighting low wages, high rents, inflation and fuel costs.
At around 5:40 p.m., a march left the square along Via Ugo Bassi towards Via Marconi. Police cordons restricted access to several central streets, with officers deployed along the route.
Later reporting described confrontations around Piazza dei Martiri and Via Marconi, where police used tear gas and water cannon. These later incidents are separate from the assembly scenes shown in this selection.
Photos: © Nikolas Parisis / MedPress
