MILAN — Hundreds of activists converged in central Milan on Saturday to voice vehement opposition to the planned involvement of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel in security operations for the forthcoming Winter Olympics, despite official clarifications that these agents would operate solely from command centers rather than engaging in street-level activities.
The demonstration at Piazza XXV Aprile—a symbolic location commemorating Italy’s 1945 liberation from Nazi fascism—drew participants from across the political spectrum, including representatives from the left-leaning Democratic Party, the CGIL trade union confederation, and the ANPI organizations dedicated to preserving the legacy of Italy’s World War II resistance movement.
Protesters employed plastic whistles distributed by organizers, creating a cacophony of dissent amplified by music from support vehicles. The gathering represented dual objections: both to the operational presence of any ICE division within Italian territory and to what participants characterized as escalating fascist tendencies within American political institutions.
Notable banners conveyed ideological resistance through cultural references, with messages including “Ice only in Spritz”—a playful appropriation of Italy’s popular aperitif terminology. Other placards drew explicit historical parallels, with one protester displaying a sign equating ICE to the Nazi Gestapo.
The controversy has triggered significant political repercussions domestically. Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala previously declared ICE personnel unwelcome in the city, while Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi faces parliamentary scrutiny regarding the security arrangement.
Despite official explanations that deployed agents belong to Homeland Security Investigations—a specialized unit focusing on transnational criminal investigations rather than immigration enforcement—protesters maintained absolute opposition. Paolo Bortoletto, one demonstrator, acknowledged the distinction but emphasized: “We don’t want them in our country. It’s their ideas that bother us.”
The Winter Olympics opening ceremony on February 6 will host U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, occurring against this backdrop of diplomatic tension and public discontent.