More than 2,000 students took to the streets of Florence on Friday, October 16, as demonstrations against the government’s education policies took place across Italy under the banner of “No Meloni Day”.
The Florence rally began in piazza San Marco, with students from at least 15 high schools carrying banners reading “No one is a foreigner here” and “The school is ours” (L’école est à nous). Palestinian flags were also visible among the crowds, while demonstrators chanted “We are all anti-fascists” and slogans against Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The protest formed part of a wider national mobilisation, with demonstrations reported in Rome, Milan, Turin, Genoa, Cagliari and other Italian cities. Students voiced concerns over education funding, deteriorating school buildings, the rising cost of living and proposed restrictions on the number of foreign students in individual classrooms.
Children take to the streets for climate action
Education is not the only issue bringing younger generations into Florence’s public spaces today. At 4.30pm, piazza Tanucci is the meeting point for the city’s second Sciopero dei Bambini e dei Ragazzi per il Clima (Children and Young People’s Climate Strike), organized to coincide with the national Fridays for Future mobilization.
Conceived by four parents (Valeria Farill, Angela Lobascio, Alessandro Raveggi and Guido Gabelli), the initiative aims to introduce children to climate change and practical ways to live more sustainably, while encouraging parents and schools to learn alongside them. They are also calling on local and national institutions to do more to address environmental problems that prevent children and families from enjoying public and educational spaces, and access to nature, safely and regularly.
The procession is scheduled to arrive at the Fortezza da Basso gardens, near the Strozzi-Fallaci tram stop, at around 6pm for a concluding discussion. Informational materials for children and a catalogue of ecological good practices will be distributed along the route.
Together, the day’s demonstrations highlight a range of concerns shared by younger generations, from access to inclusive, well-funded education to the need for meaningful action on the climate crisis.
