Milan remains one of the main centers of social tension in Italy, following student protests and violent clashes in recent days. As authorities prepare for new demonstrations on October 24, the clash has also shifted to politics, with Giorgia Meloni's government and the opposition having different positions on how to deal with the crisis.
The Italian government approved a new security decree on October 20, which provides for tougher measures against violence during demonstrations, while 500 additional military personnel are expected to be deployed in Milan by the end of the year.
The new package includes harsher penalties for participating in violent acts during protests, expanding the possibilities for preventive detention, including for minors, as well as financial measures against the parents of young people involved in the destruction.
However, one of the government's most controversial proposals, granting judicial police powers to the military, has been withdrawn during institutional discussions. This means that the increased military presence does not automatically come with new police powers.
While Meloni has defended the intervention as a necessary response to the violence and destruction, the opposition warns that security measures should not infringe on citizens' right to protest.
Democratic Party Secretary Elly Schlein has urged that violent acts not be used to divert attention from the reasons for the protests. According to her, condemning the destruction cannot replace the debate on social discontent, living conditions and the demands of young people.
Along the same lines, the mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, has called for the response of institutions not to be limited to police measures. He has stressed the need to address the causes of discontent, while after the meeting at the Prefecture he has also supported the strengthening of controls to prevent further incidents.
Milan prepares for October 24
According to reports by Italian media outlets La Stampa and Il Giorno, authorities are preparing an expanded security plan for the demonstrations scheduled for Saturday, October 24.
The plan includes checks at Lombardy's railway stations, the use of drones to monitor sensitive areas and possible restrictions on demonstrations in certain parts of central Milan.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi has said there is no evidence of a single, secretive leadership behind the riots. The statement comes at a time when Italian political debate has been tinged with suspicions about the organization and possible influence behind the incidents.
Meanwhile, unions have also expressed different positions.
On 21 October, a demonstration against violence took place in Piazza della Scala, organised by the CGIL, with the participation of the Democratic Party, the ANPI and other organisations. However, the other two major unions, the CISL and the UIL, did not join the initiative. The CISL expressed objections to the way the demonstration was organised and the political nature of the demonstration.
The political clash over the right to protest
The developments in Milan have opened a broader debate in Italy on the limits of state intervention during protests and the relationship between maintaining public order and respecting civil liberties.
The Meloni government insists that strengthening measures is necessary to prevent a recurrence of violence, while the opposition demands that institutions distinguish peaceful protesters from those responsible for attacks and destruction.
At the center of the discussion is the treatment of minors, for whom the new package provides for stricter measures.
As of the morning of October 22, there are no confirmed new clashes on the streets of Milan. Attention is focused on preparations for Saturday's protests, when the way in which the authorities will implement the new security measures will also be tested.
Italy is thus facing two issues simultaneously: preventing violence during demonstrations and the political response to the discontent of young people who have taken to the streets.
