Six people have been arrested after police clashed with protesters in Milan, one of the hosts of the Winter Olympic Games, during the first day of the competition.
Thousands took to the streets of the city in northern Italy on Saturday to protest against the Games and a range of issues including the cost of living. Some released fireworks and threw stones at police, who responded with water cannon.
It comes after the government tightened protest laws in the wake of a demonstration last weekend in Turin that left more than 100 officers injured, according to government figures.
Meanwhile, officials are investigating suspected sabotage on northern Italy's railway network on Saturday.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said those protesting against the Olympics were the enemy of Italy and they had put images of the demonstrations on the televisions of half the world while thousands of other Italians were working hard to make the competition a success.
She said this had happened after others locked railway cables to prevent trains from starting.
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini described those involved in confrontations in Milan as criminals. Just days after the shameful violence in Turin, more clashes, more attacks on law enforcement, he said.
The Turin demonstration, which was called in response to the eviction of an unofficial social centre, started peacefully but later turned violent when armed groups confronted police. More than 30 people were arrested.
One officer was attacked with a hammer, which Meloni described as attempted murder.
A new security package, which was adopted on Thursday, allows police to detain suspected troublemakers for up to 12 hours before demonstrations to prevent unrest. Critics have called it repressive.
Most people involved in Saturday's protest in Milan marched peacefully. One woman, Francesca Missana, told AFP news agency that the Olympic Games were no longer sustainable from an environmental or a social point of view, their time is up.
Supporters of the protest argued that the financial and environmental costs of the Olympics have been underrepresented. Protest organiser Alberto di Monte highlighted that billions have been spent on infrastructure instead of preserving natural landscapes.
Chaos also hit Italy's northern rail networks, with suspected sabotage causing significant delays, including fires and severed cables found near key transport hubs.
The Winter Olympics are scheduled to take place until 22 February at various locations across Northern Italy, including Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, and the Dolomites.
