Nationwide strike brings tens of thousands to Italy's streets

Tens of thousands of students and workers marched in dozens of Italian cities Friday during a one-day nationwide strike called by the Unione Sindacale di Base union over wages, public services, living costs and military spending. Friday's protests were largely peaceful; police used a water cannon in Turin, and protesters planned to camp near Rome's Colosseum through the weekend. After earlier riots, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government deployed 500 army troops in Milan and proposed tougher penalties for rioters.