Anti-ICE protesters rally in Milan ahead of opening ceremony

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MILAN, Feb 6 (Reuters) - 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 Milano Cortina Winter Games' opening ceremony.

The reported presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to protect Americans around the Olympics has galvanised protests given their front-line role in U.S. President Donald Trump's aggressive deportation push at home.

"ICE OUT" and "ICE should be in my drinks not my city" read some of the banners held by the student-led demonstrators.

Blowing plastic whistles, which have become a symbol of anti-ICE rallies in the U.S., the demonstrators in Milan also urged visiting U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to go home.

"I thought that this was a good opportunity to show that the rest of the world is not okay with what's happening in Minnesota," said Katie Legare, a protester from Minnesota currently studying in Europe, in reference to ICE agents' killing of two U.S. citizens in her home city.

"It's not okay to just acquiesce and go with the status quo. But to say there's something wrong that's happening and to speak out."

Italy's government has said the controversy is unfounded, with ICE personnel not on the streets during the Olympics and only operatives from its Homeland Security Investigations in Italy working out of U.S. diplomatic missions.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has also said no agents from ICE were providing security for Team USA.