Italy's Cabinet Approves Security Decree With Immediate Effect: Up to Five Years for Violent Participation in Protests in Groups of Five or More, Parents Liable for Minors, and 500 Troops in Milan Until Year-End
Italy approved a raft of security measures on Tuesday with immediate effect, including a new offence of violent participation in a demonstration, tougher penalties for rioters, and financial liability for parents whose children take part in vandalism and looting, Reuters reported. The move came after unrest swept northern Italian cities at the weekend, including the financial capital Milan, where gangs of mainly young people went on the rampage, smashing windows, robbing shops and attacking police.
"There is nothing revolutionary about vandalising and stealing. Vandalism and theft are not protest, they are criminality," Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on social media, unveiling the decree. Under the package, anyone who takes part in a group of at least five people and endangers public safety during protests faces up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of €20,000 ($22,460). Penalties increase if faces are concealed or people are injured. Authorities are empowered to order prompt compensation for any damage inflicted and, in the case of minors, their parents will be held liable.
Police will also be allowed to detain youths aged between 14 and 17, even if they have not committed a crime, provided there is evidence they pose a danger, extending powers that previously applied only to adults. While authorities fear further unrest at demonstrations planned for Saturday, the government said it would deploy 500 army troops alongside the police in Milan until the end of 2026. The military will help reinforce security at key sites, step up surveillance of sensitive locations and enhance monitoring across the area, the defence ministry said in a statement.
"We know what it means to look for a job, to earn an insufficient wage, and to see no prospects for the future … but hardship must never be used as an excuse for violence," Meloni said on Tuesday. Reuters noted that Meloni has passed a steady stream of security measures since taking office in 2022, and that government data shows Italy's prison population has increased by more than 17% over four years, or nearly 10,000 people. The government is also facing a separate wave of protests in southern Italy, where truck drivers angered by soaring diesel prices and the rising cost of living have staged roadblocks disrupting supply chains; some pasta makers have had to halt production, and the government has promised fresh aid for road hauliers after talks with industry representatives.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 米兰市政厅马里诺宫（Palazzo Marino）资料图，为米兰市政府所在地建筑、非骚乱现场。照片：Luca Aless 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经维基共享资源。 / File photo: Palazzo Marino, Milan's city hall; not a scene from the unrest. Photo by Luca Aless, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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- 2026-10-20Italy's Cabinet Approves Security Decree With Immediate Effect: Up to Five Years for Violent Participation in Protests in Groups of Five or More, Parents Liable for Minors, and 500 Troops in Milan Until Year-EndThis story
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