Overview
- The protests that erupted over the weekend of Oct 17–18 in Milan, Bologna and Turin devolved into vandalism, looting and violent clashes that left dozens of officers injured and hundreds of people identified.
- Authorities have arrested dozens of suspects with a large share under 18, and the government is preparing measures that include extended preventive detention for minors and new rules on group damage and banned gatherings.
- Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held a security summit at Palazzo Chigi and the executive plans to deploy about 500 additional military personnel to reinforce policing in Milan.
- Officials and analysts say police and intelligence failed to detect rapid, social-media-driven mobilizations linked to new Telegram groups and cross‑border references to French protests, which complicated prevention and response.
- The draft decree is under technical revision and could face constitutional scrutiny after President Sergio Mattarella called for careful analysis, while the unrest raises broader political and economic risks for citizens and businesses.