Hundreds rallied in Milan against US immigration agents and the Olympics’ social cost, hours before the Winter Games opening ceremony.
MILAN: Hundreds of protesters rallied in Milan on Friday, chanting slogans and setting off flares to oppose the reported presence of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and the social impact of the Winter Olympics.
The demonstration occurred hours before the Milano Cortina Games’ opening ceremony, with protesters expressing anger over ICE’s role in US immigration enforcement. “ICE OUT” and “ICE should be in my drinks not my city” read banners held by the student-led crowd.
Protesters also blew plastic whistles, a symbol of anti-ICE rallies in the US, and called for visiting US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to leave. “I thought that this was a good opportunity to show that the rest of the world is not okay with what’s happening,” said protester Katie Legare, referencing ICE agents’ killing of two US citizens in her home city of Minnesota.
READ MORE: Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics open with dual-ceremony spectacle
Italian authorities have dismissed the controversy, stating ICE personnel are not on the streets during the Olympics. The government clarified that only operatives from Homeland Security Investigations are working out of US diplomatic missions in Italy.
The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee also stated no ICE agents are providing security for Team USA. Ahead of the evening ceremony, Italian authorities closed schools in central Milan and blocked access to some areas to bolster security.
A separate afternoon demonstration was held near the San Siro stadium, where the opening ceremony will take place. A few hundred people, including public-housing tenants and the Unsustainable Olympics Committee, marched against the Games’ perceived social and economic impact.
Protesters argue the Olympics waste money while housing remains unaffordable and public spaces are scarce. Some chants also criticised Israel and expressed support for Palestinians.
The rally follows a Thursday protest by Greenpeace in front of Milan’s cathedral, which targeted Italian oil major Eni’s sponsorship of the Games. A torchlit march against the Olympics was also expected later on Friday near the ceremony site.
