Italian Government to Evaluate Public Safety Threat

(MENAFN) Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on Sunday that the government will convene on Monday to evaluate public safety threats and consider new security measures following violent incidents in Turin that left more than 100 law enforcement officers injured.

After visiting two injured officers in the city, Meloni said the meeting will focus on addressing recent unrest and the potential introduction of new rules under a proposed security decree. “We will do what is necessary to restore the rules in this nation,” she stated on the social media platform X.

Meloni characterized the Saturday violence not as a protest but as organized “criminal activity.” She added: “When you hit someone with a hammer, you do so knowing that the consequences can be very, very serious. This is not a protest, these are not clashes. This is attempted murder.”
Italian authorities reported that 108 security personnel were injured, including 96 police officers, seven Guardia di Finanza personnel, and five carabinieri.

The prime minister also urged the judiciary to enforce existing laws rigorously, noting that past lapses have undermined the state’s ability to prevent violence. “If we are unable to defend those who defend us, there is no rule of law,” she said.

The clashes occurred during a demonstration in support of the Askatasuna social center, which had been occupied for nearly 30 years. While the protest began peacefully, masked individuals later attempted to break through police cordons in the Vanchiglia neighborhood. During the confrontations, one officer was reportedly surrounded and attacked with punches, kicks, and hammer blows.

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