Italy is investigating whether external forces, including Russia, were involved in the violent protests that swept Milan and other European cities last weekend.
The government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has requested a report on the possible role of foreign provocateurs in the events, Bloomberg reports.
Protests over the cost of living in Paris, Milan and other European cities escalated into violence, with looting and arson. The level of aggression and the apparent coordination of the attacks have led the authorities to consider whether this is something more than a spontaneous outburst of discontent.
Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said the events in Milan and other Italian cities are fundamentally different from what happened before. He said this was the result of so-called hybrid warfare, which someone is bringing into European countries using unconventional tools such as TikTok, social media and YouTube, while the West neither realises it nor responds.
Crosetto noted that children aged 11-12 who took part in the protests were likely influenced in some way by a “counter-world”, though he did not provide details.
Meanwhile, Meloni’s government announced measures to prevent further violence amid fears of new protests planned for next weekend.
The opposition accused the government of exploiting the unrest for political gain ahead of next year’s elections and of being unwilling to address deep-rooted economic and social problems.
Protests in Italy
- Protests are continuing in various Italian cities against the rising cost of living, fuel prices and tax pressure. They have turned into mass riots. Milan suffered the greatest damage, where hundreds of young people dressed in black forced the police to retreat under homemade explosives, barricades and bottles.
- The country’s government announced it would deploy 500 service personnel to Milan and promised a “decisive response from the state” after the protests escalated into clashes with police, arson and looting.