Protests reported in Milan the day after the opening of the Olympics

Thousands of people are expected to march in Milan on Saturday to draw attention to the rising cost of housing and the deteriorating availability of housing in cities. The protest is taking place on the first full day of the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina.

It is being organized by local unions, groups fighting for the right to housing, and activists from community centers. According to the organizers, the march is intended to highlight the increasingly unsustainable model of the city, which is manifested in sharp rent increases and deepening social inequality.

According to them, the Olympic Games have capped a decade of real estate frenzy that Milan experienced after Expo 2015. The rise in housing prices and living costs has also been influenced by tax breaks for wealthier new residents and the influx of professionals to the city's financial center.

The police estimate that more than 3,000 people will take part. The march will start at 3 p.m. in Medaglie d'Oro Square and, after almost four kilometers, will end in the Corvetto district, traditionally a working-class part of the city.

(reuters, max)