Over 200 arrested in Rome after attempt to enter the Colosseum

More than 200 people were arrested in Rome on October 24, 2026, after clashes between protesters and police that escalated near the Colosseum when a group tried to force their way into the ancient amphitheatre but were stopped by a police cordon.

Demonstrations across several Italian cities targeted rising living costs, low wages and government policies. In the Italian capital, clashes erupted when parts of a march tried to move toward institutional buildings, sparking confrontations with security forces.

Police response and arrests

At Largo di Santa Susanna protesters reportedly threw bottles at police, who responded with water cannons and tear gas and carried out several dispersal interventions. Authorities detained more than 200 young people accused of attempting to provoke unrest. "Scontri vicino a Piazza della Repubblica, a Roma, tra manifestanti contro il carovita che volevano proseguire in corteo e la polizia che li ha bloccati con una carica e l'idrante." — @localteamit.

In the area around the Colosseum, a group of demonstrators attempted to enter the amphitheatre by force but were prevented by a police cordon. Another social-media report described the episodes as starting when the procession tried to advance near institutional palaces and said police used idranti and lacrimogeni during charges. "Scontri nel cuore di Roma tra i manifestanti e le forze dell’ordine. Gli episodi sono iniziati quando il corteo ha cercato di avanzare, all’altezza di largo di Santa Susanna, in direzione dei palazzi istituzionali. In un primo momento sono state lanciate bottiglie contro gli agenti, che hanno risposto utilizzando idranti e lacrimogeni. In seguito, le forze dell’ordine hanno effettuato alcune cariche di alleggerimento." — @EpochItalia.

Two rallies were authorised in Rome that day. A demonstration under the slogan "Unlock All", organised by right‑wing student groups, concluded without incident in the Prati neighbourhood. Separately, the group that formed after last weekend's clashes in Milan, called Movement 17 October, announced via messaging apps and social networks that it planned three gatherings whose routes were to join at a yet‑to‑be‑disclosed location.

An anti‑war march under the name "Italy out of the war", organised by the Anti‑Imperialist Axis, set off from Piazza della Repubblica with about a hundred participants carrying Palestinian, Cuban, Lebanese and Communist Party of Popular Unity flags alongside Italian flags and chanting slogans against NATO and the arming of Europe.

Rome was placed under special security measures with more than 1,500 officers deployed across the city to prevent a repeat of the clashes seen in Milan the previous weekend.

Photo: press material from the event