State Police: 60 searches in 23 towns and cities

Specifically, the following items were seized:

* Bergamo: a replica Beretta 92 FS pellet pistol, 1 black steel pliers, a crude knife, 3 mobile phones, the clothes worn during the riots on 17 October, and plastic masks suitable for disguising one’s identity;

* Cagliari, a blank-firing pistol without a red cap;

* Messina: 2 blank-firing pistols, a window-breaking tool, a smoke grenade, a balaclava, a pole and a baseball-bat-type club;

* Parma, a toy gun that fires blanks;

* Turin: clothes stolen during the looting of shops, and mobile phones;

* Bologna: two mobile phones belonging to two individuals, on which videos had been saved showing footage of the clashes that took place on 24 October in Bologna;

* Brescia: clothes worn during the riots.

The State Police are continuing their investigations to identify other individuals responsible for offences committed during the demonstrations or on social media.

Security remains tight in Milan at weekends following the clashes and looting on 17 and 18 October, with heightened security measures in place in the city centre, particularly ahead of Halloween and the Inter-Milan derby.

In the city’s most popular tourist areas, there are patrols by the police and Army personnel. In Piazza Duomo, a number of young people are being stopped for checks, whilst soldiers and police officers are also present at the Castello, in Via Dante and in San Babila. Private security has also been stepped up outside bars and clubs, with security staff stationed outside as well.

The situation this afternoon appears calm: there are plenty of tourists, groups of young people already dressed in Halloween costumes, and football fans wearing Inter and Milan shirts. However, signs of the precautionary measures taken by shopkeepers following the damage caused in recent weeks are still visible. In Via Torino and Corso Vittorio Emanuele, there are still several shops with their windows protected by wooden or metal panels.

These include Decathlon, Sephora, Uniqlo, Levi’s, Muji and Lush. The Foot Locker on Corso Vittorio Emanuele, which was ransacked during the riots, remains closed: a sign informs customers that purchases can be made online or at other branches, including the one on Via Torino, where the shop windows are protected by panels.

Even in the fashion district, particularly on Via Montenapoleone, several luxury boutiques have installed protective screens on their shop windows, from Louis Vuitton to Fendi, from Tiffany to Celine and Dior. In some cases, signs explain to customers that these are temporary measures taken as a precaution.

The Milan Store, for example, states that “the safety of our Rossoneri family is a priority” and that temporary measures have been put in place to protect supporters and staff. There is also a fire engine stationed in Piazza Duomo.