Looting in Milan, raids by minors and messages on TikTok: the government is considering new security measures
Almost 80 per cent of the 220 people taken to the police station are under 18. Initial assessments by the security services point to a violent fringe group consisting mainly of second-generation Italians. Posts on social media were used to organise the attacks on shops
Key points
The looting in Milan is also taking place on TikTok. Posts and messages organising the raids on shops in the city centre. On the streets, provoking the riots were groups consisting mainly of minors, predominantly second-generation Italians: this is the picture emerging for the security services following the violence on Saturday and yesterday.
This demographic figure is also evident from the police’s report on their operations: yesterday alone, 220 people were stopped and taken to the police station. Almost 80 per cent are under the age of 18. Business organisations estimate the damage at half a million euros.
Minors taking part in raids: self-organised gatherings on social media
Many of the minors involved in the protests were dressed in black and had their faces covered. They are part of a protest movement which the security services describe as diverse and still difficult to decipher, from which a violent fringe is emerging, consisting mainly of second-generation Italians from the so-called Gen Z.
Violent groups organised themselves at short notice via social media, particularly on TikTok. Initial accounts describe these as spontaneous gatherings. Added to this is the content of the posts and messages identified on the platforms: calls to organise looting.
At present, there is no evidence to suggest that the rioters have any links to the radical left. The nature of the unrest remains unclear: the phenomenon has yet to be fully understood and will be the focus of the analysis of intelligence reports at the summit convened at Palazzo Chigi.
