Hundreds of high school and college students protested in Milan against the presence of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, hours before the official opening of the Winter Olympics.
Protesters carried banners with messages such as “Milan is disgusting” and chanted “ICE out” as they walked through the city, Italian news agency Ansa reports.
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi assured the lower house of parliament that there was no cause for concern over the arrival of ICE agents, stressing that they would have no operational role in Italy. Security and public order will be handled exclusively by Italian police officers.
The protest against the presence of ICE agents at the Olympics took place in Milan
The protest aimed to raise awareness about ICE actions against US immigrant communities pic.twitter.com/N0X7VZ5uXp
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ICE agents arrived in Italy as part of the US Olympic delegation, with the expected task of protecting high-ranking officials, including US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who will attend the opening ceremony at the San Siro stadium.
According to Minister Piantedosi, ICE agents will be engaged exclusively in analytical activities and exchange of information with the Italian authorities, and not in the direct implementation of security measures.
ICE is known for enforcing US immigration policies, including deporting people who are in the country illegally. The recent actions of this agency in the USA caused protests and shock among citizens, which further increased the public’s attention to the presence of agents in Milan.
(Vijesti.ba)
