Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Sunday condemned anti-Olympics protesters and the unknown perpetrators of railway sabotage that caused train delays, particularly on the line between Bologna and Venice.

“Then you have them, the enemies of Italy and Italians, who demonstrate ‘against the Olympics,’ causing these images to be broadcast on television around the world. After others cut the railway cables to prevent trains from leaving,” Meloni wrote in a social media post that included FoxNews footage showing firecrackers and smoke bombs during anti-Olympics protests in Milan on Saturday.

Hours after the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics were officially launched, suspected attacks damaged the Bologna-Venice railway line. On Saturday, Italy’s railway operator Ferrovie dello Stato reported “serious damage to railway infrastructure attributable to acts of sabotage.” One track switch was set on fire near Pesaro, while a few hours later cables were damaged, causing delays on Saturday morning, the operator said.

Italy’s Transport Minister Matteo Salvini was quick to link the episodes to the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

“The serious acts of sabotage that took place this morning near Bologna station and in Pesaro, causing major disruption to thousands of travelers, are worrying and echo the acts of terrorism that occurred in France just hours before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris,” the transport ministry said in a statement on Saturday, a reference to the arson attack that hit the French railway infrastructure in July 2024.

At the same time, protesters, including some violent ones, took to the streets in Milan on Saturday to demonstrate against the Winter Olympics.