The opening of a vast, six-month long international Expo in Italian city Milan has been beset by rioting by left-wing anti-capitalists, who have torched cars, attacked police, and vandalised businesses.

The 2015 Expo, which besides the already formidable task of seeking to modernise the old image of a corrupt, inefficient Italy and bring it into the first flight of global business nations, also seeks to ‘feed the world’, focussing on global food and nutrition.

City officials hoped the fair, which opened yesterday and is expected to attract 20 million visitors, would give Italy’s fashion and banking capital a boost in international stature. The Italian government, which has invested 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in it, wants the fair to help push Italy out of its economic doldrums. Instead, the first glimpse of the purpose-built exhibition centre for many the world over is a vision of fires, rioting, and anarchy.

Tear-gas was used to disperse rioters last night, and water cannon were deployed in a vain attempt to keep peace, and extinguish fires.

The Associated Press Contributed to This Report