Students in Italy protest against war, cost of living, and housing shortages

Student protests are spreading across Italy, drawing inspiration from recent mobilizations in France. In Bologna, student collectives Cua and Cas held a demonstration in Piazza Verdi to express solidarity with French students and protest against militarization, war, the rising cost of living, and insufficient funding for education and services.

In Turin, unrest has manifested in two distinct ways. High school students have occupied two institutes, including Liceo Statale Regina Margherita and Istituto Superiore Carlo Ignazio Giulio, to protest against racism, war, and deteriorating school infrastructure. They are also calling for a permanent mobilization against what they describe as the transformation of schools into ‘barracks’.

Simultaneously, university students in Turin are protesting the management of EDISU Piemonte student housing. Demonstrators have organized pickets to address alleged irregularities in housing assignments for the 2026/2027 academic year, which they claim have left several students without accommodation. Protesters are demanding better living conditions and more public student housing, criticizing the diversion of funds toward military spending.