Over 60 Police Injured in Italy During Protests Against High-Speed Rail Project

More than 60 police officers sustained injuries on Saturday amid confrontations with opponents of the Turin-Lyon high-speed rail project in northern Italy, according to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

The report detailed that approximately 20,000 demonstrators gathered at a festival organized by the "No to High-Speed Trains" movement to protest the construction of the high-speed railway line. Shortly after the protest began, participants dispersed and launched attacks on multiple tunnel construction sites, with the most intense violence occurring in Chiomonte.

The protesters breached fences and entered construction zones, initiating acts of vandalism. Stones, fireworks, and Molotov cocktails were thrown, and four police vehicles were set on fire.

Police responded with water cannons and tear gas, but these measures were insufficient as the protesters were well-equipped and caused widespread alarm.

Due to the disturbances, train services between Bussoleno and Borgone were temporarily suspended, and a section of the highway was closed.

The European Union-backed high-speed rail project between Lyon and Turin includes the construction of a 57.5-kilometer tunnel through the Alps, with an estimated cost exceeding 26 billion euros.