Dozens of Italian Police Officers Get Injured in Turin Protest

(MENAFN) Violent clashes broke out Saturday night in Turin during a demonstration supporting the Askatasuna social center, leaving at least 29 police officers injured. The protest was held in response to the December eviction of the center, which had been occupied for nearly 30 years.

Authorities reported that one officer was surrounded and beaten with punches, kicks, and hammer blows, sustaining multiple bruises and a thigh wound requiring stitches. Other officers also needed hospital treatment.

The march initially proceeded peacefully, but groups of masked individuals later broke away in the Vanchiglia neighborhood, attempting to breach police lines. Protesters reportedly threw bottles, stones, homemade incendiary devices, and smoke bombs, set fire to dumpsters and an armored police vehicle, and used street furniture and uprooted lampposts as weapons. Police responded with tear gas, water cannons, and crowd-control charges in clashes that lasted over an hour.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the attacks, calling them “violent attacks aimed at the state and those who represent it,” while Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi described the protesters as “a danger to democracy” and criticized parts of the political left for allegedly shielding violent groups. Both emphasized the need for stronger security measures.

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