Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on Sunday the government will meet on Monday to assess threats to public order following violent clashes in Turin. The unrest, which erupted during a demonstration on Saturday night, left more than 100 members of the security forces injured and has prompted renewed debate over protest policing and public security.
Speaking after visiting two injured police officers, Meloni said the meeting would examine recent unrest and possible new measures under a proposed security decree. In a statement shared on X, she said the government would act to restore order. She described the violence as organised criminal activity, not protest, and said attacks using hammers amounted to attempted murder.
Italian authorities reported that 108 officers were injured, including 96 police officers, seven Guardia di Finanza personnel and five carabinieri. One officer was reportedly surrounded and beaten with kicks, punches and hammer blows. Meloni urged the judiciary to apply existing laws firmly, arguing that weak enforcement in the past had reduced the state’s ability to deter violence.
Demonstration probably infiltrated
The clashes occurred during a demonstration in support of the Askatasuna social centre in Turin, which had been occupied for almost 30 years. While the march initially proceeded peacefully, masked groups later broke away and attempted to breach police cordons in the Vanchiglia neighbourhood. Police said protesters threw bottles, stones, incendiary devices and smoke bombs, and set fire to dumpsters and a police vehicle.
Security forces responded with tear gas, water cannons and crowd-control charges during clashes that lasted more than an hour. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi described the protesters as a danger to democracy and accused parts of the political left of shielding violent groups. He said the events underlined the need for tougher security measures.
Senior figures in the ruling coalition, including Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, called for faster arrests, evictions of occupied social centres and the rapid adoption of a new security package. Piantedosi said the government would discuss new regulations next week, including the possible return of preventive detention during demonstrations. Police estimated attendance at 15,000, while organisers claimed up to 50,000. At least three people were arrested, and investigations are ongoing.
