Clashes on 17 and 18 October; searches carried out by the Digos in various cities
The police carried out a series of house and personal searches targeting around 100 people, 51 of whom were minors, who had been identified in connection with the serious disturbances
Key points
DIGOS raids in 18 Italian cities following the demonstrations on 17 and 18 October. Acting on the instructions of the judicial authorities and on their own initiative, the police carried out a series of house and personal searches targeting around 100 people, including 51 minors, who had been identified as having taken part in the serious disturbances. The searches were carried out by DIGOS officers in Arezzo, Bari, Bergamo, Bologna, Bolzano, Como, Florence, Genoa, Lodi, Naples, Pescara, Padua, Cremona, Verbania, Aosta, Monza, Varese and Verona.
Florence City Council: ‘Ready to defend the city from those who want to lay it waste’
Meanwhile, the mayors of the major cities are making preparations ahead of the new demonstrations scheduled for tomorrow. “We are liaising with those who deal with this sort of event on a daily basis: the police headquarters, the Digos unit and the prefecture. The aim is to put in place the most effective security arrangements possible, because we need to defend our city from small groups of people who, in other places, have ransacked shop windows, historic centres and squares. We do not want this to happen in Florence. The entire system, the entire security apparatus, is working towards this. Everyone will play their part – the law enforcement agencies and the municipal police. We are ready,’ explained Andrea Giorgio, the Councillor for Security at Florence City Council, in an interview with Controradio this morning, referring to the demonstration scheduled for Saturday at 3 pm in Piazza Santa Maria Novella.
The councillor: these violent protests have no political undertones
“Unlike student demonstrations, these violent protests have no political undertones, no demands,” explains Giorgio. “Their sole aim is to smash things up, steal clothes and cause chaos. This sort of behaviour is unacceptable, and it’s incomprehensible how it can happen.” The councillor then adds: “We don’t have any specific information, but we’re keeping a constant watch, monitoring social media channels, groups and communications relating to these demonstrations. And that’s essentially the work carried out by the Digos. I’ve seen pupils from our schools who have distanced themselves and said they won’t be taking part in these demonstrations. I believe this is the best way to draw a line between those who protest for their future and those who cause damage just for the sake of it. Our pupils are right, and they’re showing that our city knows how to defend itself.”
