Italy is on the verge of approving new security measures, after parts of the country were the scene of a series of violent protests and looting reported over the weekend in Europe.
According to the newspaper The Guardian, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini asserted that the police could keep minors under 18 in police stations for up to 12 hours – even if they have not committed a crime – as long as there is evidence that they pose a danger.
“We want to intervene quickly with the youth,” Salvini told RTL radio, ahead of a cabinet meeting aimed at approving the measures, which have not yet been formally announced.
According to reports, the tightening of security measures will also include the prohibition of gatherings involving people considered a threat to public order.
Part of these measures already appears in Italian law or in a security bill approved by the Council of Ministers in July and currently under review by the Senate. Therefore, the government’s legal teams are still evaluating what changes could be incorporated into the new decree.
Widespread discontent
Thousands of people peacefully protested the cost of living in several northern Italian cities over the weekend; however, some of the demonstrations turned violent, with reports of participants looting stores and clashing with police.
Hundreds of demonstrators – many of them, it appears, minors – set fire to trash bins and looted establishments in the center of Milan, where more than 5,000 people gathered over the weekend.
In southern Italy, farmers and truck drivers have blocked ports and roads in protest against the surge in fuel prices, stemming from the war between the U.S./Israel and Iran.
By Saturday night, the 17th, Italian authorities had not released an official tally of arrests and injuries. According to local newspapers, about 50 people were arrested in Milan and another seven were detained in Bologna. At least one police officer and approximately 20 protesters were injured.
Among the injured is Angelo de Simone, a police official and head of a precinct, who suffered a head wound.
500 military personnel in Milan
On Monday, the 19th, the Italian government announced the deployment of an additional 500 military personnel to Milan to reinforce security.
The measure was announced in advance by Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, and is expected to be part of a public security decree that the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni intends to analyze on Tuesday the 20th, according to the news agency ANSA.
“From words to action! 500 more military personnel to protect Milan. A victory for the League,” Salvini wrote on social media. The deputy prime minister also leads the right-wing League party, which advocates tightening security measures.
The Italian president, Sergio Mattarella, condemned the episodes of violence but defended a careful assessment of the circumstances of the clashes. “Every form of violence is unacceptable,” Mattarella said, underscoring the need for an “intelligent and in-depth analysis” and for vigilance capable of countering violent acts carried out by people who had not previously been involved in such episodes.
*With information from international agencies.
