Transport and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini on Thursday called for stiffer penalties, including jail, for protesters engaged in acts of civil disobedience to highlight the need to address the climate crisis.
The League leader made the call after members of the Ultima Generazione (UG – Last Generation) group blocked traffic in both directions on the Turin-Milan motorway on Thursday, causing major disruption.
“Eco-imbeciles!!!” Salvini said via X (formerly Twitter).
“Gluing yourself to the asphalt and stopping one of Italy’s most important motorways, creating problems for workers and students, and damaging the environment and trade, is a criminal act.
“For this reason, the League is committed to pursuing its proposal to increase the penalties – with heavy fines, jail and arrest when caught in the act – to the cretins who block roads to the detriment of thousands of innocent citizens. Enough!”.
The UG protestors held up a banner calling for a “Reparation Fund” of €20 billion to be set up. The organisation wants to see people suffering the effects of the climate crisis, such as the communities devastated by the deadly floods that hit Emilia Romagna in May, to be assisted by the government.
Milan takes positive environmental move
Milan is set to banish cars from its city centre by the middle of next year, Mayor Giuseppe Sala said today.
“It is clear that the (ecological) transition requires work, and obviously we need to think about those in difficulty when making decisions,” Sala said on the sidelines of the ‘Il Verde e il Blu Festival’ in the city.
“But trying to change things is not for the elite, for the radical chic, it is for everyone.
“In Milan we must be pioneers and have the courage and common sense to do things.
“We want to close the centre of Milan to private traffic by the first half of 2024. We’ll start with the centre, but then we will expand”.
