Italy police raid homes in Milan ahead of protests

Angela Giuffrida

Police in Italy have raided 150 homes in Milan and other cities as the country braces for more protests on Saturday afternoon.

The searches were conducted in the homes of those, including 51 minors, suspected of intending to cause trouble during the demonstrations.

The events, organised by the 17 October Movement and due to take place in Milan, Turin, Rome, Bologna, Naples and other cities and towns, are targeted at various issues, from the high cost of living and underfunding in schools to support for Palestine.

They follow protests last weekend which escalated into violence, especially in Milan, where hooded youths vandalised and looted shops in the city centre.

Many stores in Milan, Naples and other cities have covered windows with plywood over fears of further violence on Saturday.

A boarded-up Prada store in Naples, Italy.…