Milan's streets echoed with a cacophony of protest as hundreds of students and anti-ICE activists gathered in front of the San Siro Stadium on Friday, just hours before the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics. The gathering was in response to reports that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials would be providing security for the American delegation at the games.
The protest, which featured banners reading "ICE should be in my drinks, not my city," was led by student groups who were outraged over the reported presence of ICE agents. They argued that these agents posed a threat to global values and community cohesion, particularly when it came to issues related to immigration.
According to Giacomo Calvi, one of the protesters from Milan, "We are protesting the US 'anti-immigration police' which are carrying out all kinds of violence in the United States." He emphasized that his fellow students felt that this kind of security presence was unacceptable and would be met with resistance.
Despite Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi stating that ICE would only operate within US diplomatic missions, the protesters were unconvinced. They held up plastic whistles, a symbol used in anti-ICE rallies back in the United States, to emphasize their stance.
The protest came at a time when global outrage had been building over Donald Trump's aggressive deportation policies, particularly following fatal shootings of two American citizens and the detention of a five-year-old boy with his father. Katie Legare from Minnesota told AFP that "this was a good opportunity to show that the rest of the world is not OK with what's happening in Minnesota."
The protest, which featured banners reading "ICE should be in my drinks, not my city," was led by student groups who were outraged over the reported presence of ICE agents. They argued that these agents posed a threat to global values and community cohesion, particularly when it came to issues related to immigration.
According to Giacomo Calvi, one of the protesters from Milan, "We are protesting the US 'anti-immigration police' which are carrying out all kinds of violence in the United States." He emphasized that his fellow students felt that this kind of security presence was unacceptable and would be met with resistance.
Despite Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi stating that ICE would only operate within US diplomatic missions, the protesters were unconvinced. They held up plastic whistles, a symbol used in anti-ICE rallies back in the United States, to emphasize their stance.
The protest came at a time when global outrage had been building over Donald Trump's aggressive deportation policies, particularly following fatal shootings of two American citizens and the detention of a five-year-old boy with his father. Katie Legare from Minnesota told AFP that "this was a good opportunity to show that the rest of the world is not OK with what's happening in Minnesota."
What do you guys think? It's crazy how protests can bring people together like this. I mean, I get why they'd be upset about ICE agents showing up at the Olympics - it feels super invasive and doesn't exactly scream "unity" to me 
. On one hand, I'm all for questioning authorities when they're being, well, unfair or discriminatory. But on the other hand, do you think this is just another case of a controversy blowing over without people really thinking about the implications? 
I don't know, maybe I'm just too caught up in my own little bubble... 
What are your thoughts?
oh man this is so messed up! like i know us immigration and customs enforcement agents are trying to do their job but come on, they're gonna be at a sports event that's all about peace and unity? 
what if they start harassing some of the athletes or spectators who aren't even from america?! 
it's time to come together as humans instead of pitting us against each other over some arbitrary border issue... 
I'm not saying that's a bad idea, but come on... it's all pretty subjective. 
. i mean i get that minnesota was rocked by those deportation horror stories and all but come on, the rest of the world sees it for what it is - a human rights disaster 
. i know milan might not be minnesota but idk man, this feels like a big deal 
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is just not cool 
. Students got the right to stand up against it 
. Who wants 'anti-immigration police' 
in our cities, let alone a global event like this? 
. And yeah, the rest of the world is watching 
. No need for ICE to cause drama or fear in our cities 
It's like, can't we all just have a friendly competition in ice skating and curling without having to worry about our fellow humans getting picked up by some shady immigration folks? 
. And it's not like they're helping or anything. It's all just a big mess.
. Now, it feels like we're stuck in this never-ending cycle of outrage and protests. Can't we just have a peaceful Olympics for once? 
. And I think it's really cool that these students are taking a stand against ICE and speaking out about the harm they've caused 
. But sometimes, we gotta take a closer look at our own actions and make sure we're not contributing to the problem 
.
.
. I mean, can you imagine if China or Russia sent their own security forces to the US? It'd be a total outrage 
.
.