Italian police carried out more than 150 searches in Lombardy in connection with the unrest of 17 October, Il Sole 24 ORE reports. The operation comes as authorities prepared security for marches scheduled for Saturday, 24 October.
According to Il Sole 24 ORE, nearly 1,500 police officers and soldiers were deployed in Milan alone to oversee the demonstrations. The paper describes the arrangement as a presidio, a standing security presence around the day's processions.
Coverage of the searches extended beyond Lombardy. La Repubblica reported raids in 22 cities, while Sky TG24 said more than 150 searches were conducted across several cities amid warnings about the marches. Corriere Milano reported that the searches were under way and that checks were also being carried out in the metro system.
MilanoToday reported on a chat among young people that it said contained a plan to disarm officers, with the searches following. That detail comes from MilanoToday's reporting and has not been independently confirmed here.
The scale of the police response reflects concern in the run-up to Saturday's demonstrations, according to the outlets. Corriere Milano reported that a march was expected in Piazza Duomo and that the Movimento would announce its final gathering point at 15:30.
What to watch next: the final rally location to be announced on Saturday afternoon, and whether the day's marches pass without further incidents.
