ICE May Be At The 2026 Olympics, And These Italian Protesters Are BEYOND P*ssed Off

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ICE protests aren't lone happening crossed the US — they've besides jumped crossed the pond to Italy up of the 2026 Winter Olympics, which footwear disconnected successful Milano Cortina connected Friday, February 6.

Last week, quality that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents would beryllium present astatine the games sparked a nationwide backlash. Despite the US Department of Homeland Security clarifying that agents are not determination to "conduct migration enforcement operations" and that information would stay nether Italian authority, protesters flooded the streets to reason their presence.

Hundreds of protesters successful Milan gathered astatine Piazza XXV Aprile, a quadrate named for the day of Italy's liberation from Nazi fascism successful 1945. They held signs, blew whistles, and spoke with reporters.

"I wanted to marque a connection that was wide and casual to read, that intelligibly shows that ICE ... [I] don't truly o.k. the behaviour of ICE agents successful the US. So that's wherefore I came present today," 1 protester successful Milan said, speaking with CNN astir his homemade sign.

"It should beryllium a infinitesimal to calm down, deliberation astir sport, travel unneurotic done sport, and possibly adjacent commencement to crushed a small and alteration cognition astir galore things, unfastened ourselves up," different protester successful Milan said, speaking successful Italian astir the Olympic Games. "That's what athletics is for. It doesn't service to convey different messages if not ones of peace, tolerance, and openness. And it is perfectly not this, and determination is nary need. There is nary need."

Across the country, Italians voiced their concerns. "We perfectly don't privation them. We don't privation this world," Michela Penna, a nonmigratory successful Rome, said successful Italian while speaking with CBC.

"They tin support them. Actually, they should fastener them each up due to the fact that they are Nazi lunatics. Calling them fascists is an understatement," she continued.

In effect to archetypal backlash, the Italian authorities further clarified the relation of ICE agents astatine the Olympics. "We request to look astatine the responsibilities of what ICE agents really are. If they come, they volition travel to cooperate, not retired connected the streets, but to cooperate with the police, conscionable arsenic constabulary forces from different countries do," said Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

But Italian absorption parties remained concerned. Lawmakers from Italy’s absorption held up "ICE? NO, GRAZIE!" signs during a gathering successful Lombardy. Some called for ICE agents to beryllium barred from entering the state altogether.

Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala echoed those concerns, saying ICE would not beryllium invited successful his city. "This is simply a militia that kills. It's a militia that enters people's homes by signing permits for themselves," helium told an Italian vigor station. "It's wide they are not invited successful Milan, there's nary uncertainty astir that."

As videos of the protests dispersed online, radical from astir the satellite shared their confusion, concerns, and enactment successful the comments.

"why would ICE adjacent beryllium successful ITALY????? 😭" 1 wrote.

"no crushed for crystal to beryllium there. this is ridiculous and a discarded of resources," different said.

"ICE is not a constabulary force. They are migration and customs enforcement for the US. Immigration and customs enforcement for the US has thing to bash with the Olympics successful Italy," idiosyncratic other echoed.

And lastly, this idiosyncratic wrote, "Thank you, Italian friends! Americans profoundly admit this!"

With the opening ceremonial conscionable days away, it remains unclear whether ICE's beingness volition alteration successful effect to the backlash. For now, protests successful Italy and disapproval online are showing nary signs of slowing.

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