MILAN, Italy -- Hundreds of protesters chanted slogans, blew whistles and set off flares at a rally on Friday to oppose the presence in Italy of U.S. immigration agents and the closure of streets ahead of the Milan Cortina Winter Games' opening ceremony.

The Winter Games of Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo formally kicked off on Friday with the start of the opening ceremonies, where pledges of sportsmanship and peaceful international competition came against the backdrop of a fraying world order.

Violent clashes in Turin, Italy allegedly left 108 police officers injured as protesters hurled Molotov cocktails and stones during weekend demonstrations.

As U.S. athletes and staff arrived in Italy for the Winter Olympics, they were greeted by protesters opposing ICE's planned security role at the Games.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni overnight called the release "an affront to the memory of the victims of the New Year's Eve tragedy and an insult to their families".

An ICE unit from the US Department of Homeland Security is playing a role providing security at the Winter Games. At past Olympics, their involvement would have been unremarkable. But after the violence in Minneapolis,

The rebrand comes as Italian officials and protesters object to the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

Danish veterans held a silent protest at the US Embassy in Copenhagen after Trump belittled allied sacrifices and talked of controlling Greenland. While parallel protests in Milan opposed ICE’s role at the upcoming Winter Olympics.