Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has sharply condemned the anti-Olympics protests in Milan, calling the protesters “enemies of Italy and Italians.” The protests, held on the first full day of the Winter Games hosted by Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, turned violent on Saturday. Some protesters set off smoke bombs and firecrackers near Olympic venues, prompting police to respond with tear gas and water cannons. Clashes occurred near the Olympic Village and a highway. Meloni praised thousands of volunteers and workers supporting the Games but criticized those disrupting the event. She said, “The protesters demonstrate ‘against the Olympics,’ causing these images to end up on televisions around the world. After others cut the railway cables to prevent the trains from leaving.” Authorities reported that railway cables near Bologna were deliberately cut, causing suspicion of “terrorism.” The Transport Ministry launched an investigation and warned that the saboteurs would face multimillion-euro damage claims. Thousands of people protested against the Olympics’ environmental and financial impact. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) criticized the violence, with spokesman Mark Adams saying, “We draw a line at violence,” adding it “has no place at the Olympic Games.” Besides anti-Olympics protests, there were demonstrations against Israel’s participation and against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) providing security to the US team. During the opening ceremony, Israel’s athletes were booed by parts of the crowd, though cheers and music soon drowned out the jeers. Similarly, US Vice President JD Vance and his wife received a hostile reaction on the stadium’s big screen.