Milan luxury shops close for fear of further unrest, gov't prepares new crackdown

MILAN — Shops in central Milan closed early and boarded up their windows on Monday, fearing a new wave of unrest after two days of protests that saw demonstrators clash with police, loot stores and vandalise property. Most stores in Milan's Via Montenapoleone luxury shopping district, home to brands including Chanel, Tiffany and Dior, had removed merchandise from their windows as a precaution, while police patrolled the street and a handful of tourists looked on. Several hundred hooded protesters, many believed to be minors, set bins ablaze and looted shops in the city centre over the weekend after an initially peaceful demonstration on Saturday over poor public services and rising costs. Among the stores ransacked were sports retailers Decathlon and Arc'teryx and mobile phone operator Vodafone, television footage showed. Stores such as clothing brands Levi's and Under Armour, as well as Decathlon, covered their shop windows with cardboard and wooden panels. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who faces a national election next year, condemned the violence and chaired a meeting with