CBRN event in Italy on Sat 7th February 2026

Italian police fired tear gas and a water cannon at protesters who threw firecrackers, water bottles, and smoke bombs at them near a Winter Olympics venue in Milan on Saturday. Over the weekend, tens of thousands of people joined various protests around the Winter Olympics venues. Hundreds of protesters chanted slogans, blew whistles, and set off flares at a rally on Friday to oppose the presence in Italy of US immigration agents and the closure of streets ahead of the Olympic opening ceremony. "ICE OUT" and "ICE should be in my drinks, not my city," read some of the banners held by the student-led demonstrators. Blowing plastic whistles, which have become a symbol of anti-ICE rallies in the US, the demonstrators in Milan also urged visiting US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to go home. Notably, during the opening ceremony, cheers for the large US team quickly turned to boos when Vance was shown on the stadium's big screen. Pro-Palestine demonstrations at the Winter Olympics Additionally, on Saturday, some 10,000 people attended protests against the games' environmental, economic, and social impacts. Palestinian flags were flown in some areas, and protesters there demonstrated against Israel's participation in the games. Officers in riot gear clashed with about 100 protesters who had broken away from the main protests about the games’ environmental impacts. They appeared to be making their way to the Santagiulia Olympic ice hockey rink. A separate group of protesters also set off smoke bombs and firecrackers near the Olympic Village. Six people were arrested during the clashes, Sky News reported. Italian PM Meloni slams protesters as "enemies of Italy" Also on Saturday, authorities said saboteurs had damaged rail infrastructure near the northern Italian city of Bologna, disrupting train journeys. Police reported three separate incidents at different locations, which caused delays of up to 2-1/2 hours for high-speed, Intercity, and regional services. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni praised the thousands of Italians working to ensure the Olympic Games ran smoothly and presented a positive face of Italy. "Then there are those who are enemies of Italy and Italians, demonstrating 'against the Olympics' and ensuring that these images are broadcast on television screens around the world. After others cut the railway cables to prevent trains from departing," she wrote on Instagram on Sunday. She then condemned the anti-Olympics protesters as "enemies of Italy.” The International Olympic Committee also joined in the criticism, saying violence had no place at the Games. "Peaceful protest is entirely legitimate... We draw a line at violence. That has no place at the Olympic Games," IOC spokesperson Mark Adams told a press conference. "We just need to get on with the Games, which will spread a strong message of unity and peace to the world, which I think is very important at this moment in time." On Friday, Israel's Olympic team walked into the stadium during the opening ceremony on Friday to a smattering of boos. The four-person Israeli delegation, waving the country's flag and smiling, marched into the San Siro stadium during the parade of participating countries, with the boos quickly drowned out by the loud soundtrack.