Thousands Rally Against U.S. Security Presence Ahead of Winter Games
Thousands of demonstrators filled Milan's Piazza XXV Aprile on January 31, 2026, protesting the planned deployment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during next month's Winter Olympics. The protest occurred just weeks before the Games' opening ceremony, with organizers calling the move a 'dangerous normalization of extremist policies.'
Participants from Italy's Democratic Party, CGIL trade union, and anti-fascist group ANPI held banners reading 'No to Border Militarization' and 'Olympics Belong to the People.' While Italian authorities clarified that ICE personnel would only monitor security feeds from a control room, protesters expressed broader concerns about perceived authoritarian trends in global governance.
Historical Echoes in Modern Dissent
The choice of location carried symbolic weight – Piazza XXV Aprile commemorates Italy's 1945 liberation from fascist rule. Demonstrators drew parallels between historical anti-fascist struggles and current opposition to what one union leader called 'the exportation of America's domestic security paradigm.'
Olympic organizers have emphasized that all international security personnel will operate under Italian jurisdiction. However, the protest highlights growing public scrutiny of transnational security arrangements as the February 6 opening date approaches.
