Right to Protest Must Be Protected, Says Giorgia Meloni

Rome, October 25: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said the right to protest must always be safeguarded, even as demonstrations across the country turned confrontational. She also credited police and security forces with keeping control during the unrest.

In a message posted on X, Meloni thanked the men and women of the police and security forces who, she said, worked across Italy's cities and public spaces to ensure citizens' safety and the right to peaceful demonstration. She said they did so even as some violent individuals tried to incite clashes and disorder.

Meloni expressed gratitude to Matteo Piantedosi, prefects, questors, and everyone involved in coordinating and managing these law and order operations.

She underlined that the right to protest should be protected in the same way as the right of citizens to live in safe surroundings in their towns and cities.

The prime minister linked her remarks to recent steps approved by the Council of Ministers. Those measures, she explained, are meant to provide the state with more effective means to stop violence and prevent criminals and troublemakers from causing chaos in entire cities. Safety, she said, must be guaranteed for people who wish to demonstrate peacefully, for those who go to work, and for those who want to live in their city without fear.

According to her, there is no place for those whose aim is only to fuel conflict and violence.

Italian media reported that on Saturday evening, large demonstrations were held in multiple cities against rising prices, the expansion of the armed forces, and increased defence spending. In Bologna, some protesters clashed with police.

In Rome, demonstrators left Piazza della Repubblica on Saturday afternoon for an anti-war march. By evening, scuffles had broken out between protesters and police in the city centre, and officers used water cannons and tear gas to break up the crowd.

Turin also witnessed clashes between protesters and police on Saturday evening. The main issues for demonstrators there were growing military expenditure and rising fuel costs.