Four-month security order covers Colosseum, Imperial Forums and Colle Oppio following violent incidents and an unauthorised gathering that injured two officers. The area surrounding the Colosseum has been designated a “red zone” for public security, as authorities in the Italian capital move to tighten controls following a spate of street crime in the historic centre.
The measure, reported by la Repubblica, follows several violent episodes and a series of extraordinary police checks carried out in the area in recent weeks. It formally brings the zone encompassing the Colosseum, the Imperial Forums and Colle Oppio under red-zone status.
Contained in an order from the Rome Prefecture, adopted at the request of Rome Police Headquarters, the measure took effect on August 24 and will remain in force for four months, running until Christmas Eve. Officials say the decision responds to the need to strengthen security in areas marked by degradation and crime.
Prefect cites predatory crime and drug dealing
In the ordinance, Rome Prefect Lamberto Giannini highlighted the persistence of predatory crime and drug dealing in the area. According to the order, these offences are committed “primarily by groups of young individuals of non-EU origin,” with the opening of the “Roma Colosseo” metro station on Line C — which links the historic centre to the city’s eastern districts — cited as a contributing factor to the incidents.
The Prefect pointed to July 1 as the point at which tensions peaked, when, during an unauthorised party held in the Colosseum square, a group of roughly fifty non-EU individuals resisted local police and surrounded several officers, leaving two with minor injuries.
The order also confirms and expands the existing red zones covering Esquilino and San Lorenzo, near Termini station, where the ordinance notes that ongoing street protests continue to demand close attention on security and public decorum grounds.
By contrast, the red zone previously in place in the outlying Valle Aurelia-Cornelia area has been revoked.
