Italian Government Responds to Violent Turin Protests
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Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni convened senior cabinet members and police chiefs on Monday to address security concerns after violent protests in Turin over the weekend. During these protests, around 100 law enforcement officers were injured. [
Meloni visited Turin’s Molinette hospital to meet injured officers, including Alessandro Calista, a 29-year-old from Padua who suffered broken bones after being attacked by protesters. The assault, captured on video, showed Calista isolated and vulnerable before being rescued by a colleague with a riot shield. Authorities have described the attack as attempted murder, and Defence Minister Guido Crosetto compared the protesters to the Red Brigades terrorist group of the 1970s and 80s.
Police have arrested a 22-year-old man from Grosseto in connection with the attack on Calista. They have also arrested two other demonstrators linked to separate incidents.
The protests began because authorities closed Turin’s anarchist and anticapitalist Askatasuna ‘social centre’. This shutdown occurred in December. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi is expected to report to parliament on the events in Turin on Tuesday.
The government, already preparing a new security package, is now considering tougher measures in response to the violence. Deputy Premier and League leader Matteo Salvini has suggested introducing precautionary arrests. Opposition leader Elly Schlein urged Meloni not to exploit the situation for political gain. She called for unity in support of the police.
