Milan protesters rally against ICE presence and school closures ahead of Milano Cortina Winter Games opening
MILAN: Hundreds of protesters gathered in Milan on Friday to oppose the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and the closure of schools and streets in the city ahead of the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina Winter Games.
The U.S. State Department said last week that several federal agencies, including ICE, would help protect the visiting Americans, a decision that immediately triggered protests in Milan.
On Friday, Italian authorities ordered schools in central Milan to remain shut and they blocked access to some areas of the city to bolster security around the ceremony and ease traffic disruptions.
Protesters – mostly students with signs reading “ICE out” – assembled in Piazzale Leonardo da Vinci, in front of a building of the Politecnico University in the eastern part of the city.
A banner criticising the presence of ICE, U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio was carried at the front of the march.
They also oppose shutting down parts of the city for what they see as an unsustainable Olympics while housing prices remain unaffordable and social spaces are scarce.
On Thursday morning, environmental group Greenpeace staged a protest in front of the cathedral, protesting the role of Italian oil major Eni as a sponsor of the Games.
Later on Friday a torchlit march organised by the Committee Against the Olympics is expected in an area close to the site of the opening ceremony.
