Milan city council on Thursday approved guidelines for a possible new home for the Leoncavallo social centre, a week after its eviction. The proposed site is in a building in the city’s southeastern suburbs, with a potential 90-year lease, sources said.
Police enforced the eviction order last Thursday against the long-standing leftist and countercultural squat. Founded in 1975, Leoncavallo was one of Italy’s most famous social centres and an alternative youth hub.
Premier Giorgia Meloni welcomed the clearance. “In a constitutional state, there cannot be free zones or areas removed from legality,” she said on social media. Meloni added that “illegal occupations” were a threat to security and communities.
Deputy Premier and League leader Matteo Salvini also praised the eviction. “The law is the same for everyone: get out,” he said, recalling that he once visited Leoncavallo in his youth.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi described the move as proof of the government’s “zero tolerance” policy on squatting. “For thirty years that building was occupied illegally,” he said. “Today, legality is finally being restored.” He noted that since the government took office, nearly 4,000 illegal occupations have been ended.
Mixed reception to eviction
Meloni’s Brothers of Italy and government partner Forza Italia both hailed the eviction. But opposition parties condemned it. Milan’s centre-left mayor, Giuseppe Sala, said the council had not been informed of the operation. He described Leoncavallo as “a historic and social value of our city”.
The Democratic Party accused the government of using “bulldozers” to distract from political problems. The Green-Left Alliance said the government tolerated neo-fascist squats like CasaPound in Rome while shutting down leftist centres. Under pressure, Piantedosi later announced that CasaPound’s HQ would also be evicted.
Leoncavallo’s cultural influence was widely recognised. Its stage hosted acts from Public Enemy to Italian stars like Subsonica, Carmen Consoli and Fedez. Nobel laureate Dario Fo, comedian Paolo Rossi and many others also performed or spoke there.
Marina Boer, president of the Mamme del Leoncavallo association, vowed to continue fighting. “This is not the end,” she said, confirming an appeal and dialogue with the city council.
