‘Totally unsustainable’: Italian students protest over cost of housing

Protesters tent outside universities as part of growing movement calling for action on high rents

Mirko , 19, gets up at 5am for the commute from his parents’ home in Ronciglione to Rome, an almost two-hour journey by bus, train and metro, to make it in time for his 8am lecture at Sapienza University. Then he repeats the journey home after his last lecture, which on some days finishes at 8pm.

But now the law student has had enough, and for the last few nights has been sleeping in a tent outside the university as part of a growing movement of students across Italy protesting against high rents.