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Milan government approves decree following violent street clashes

Italy's cabinet has approved new security measures in response to October 17 riots in Milan, including additional troops and a new offence for violent protest participation.

21 October 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

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Archive photo: Milan government approves decree following violent street clashes — Archive photoPhoto: Ancient Roman artist of the 1st century AD (photo taken by Sergey Sosnovskiy) · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

The Italian government has approved a new security decree following clashes that erupted in Milan on October 17. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that the violence is unacceptable and cannot be downplayed, emphasizing that those responsible for damage must answer for their actions. The riots left 14 police officers injured, resulted in 271 arrests, and caused an estimated one million euros in damage. Shops in Milan's fashion district began reopening after closing due to fears of looting.

The new decree introduces the offence of violent participation in demonstrations and provides for the deployment of an additional 500 military personnel to Milan to strengthen public order, though they will not have investigative police powers but will be able to identify those responsible for the disorder.

On the judicial front, the magistracy has validated five arrests of adults and eleven of minors. Milan's preliminary investigation judge flagged that the risk of further unrest remains very high.

Defence Minister Guido Crosetto described the clashes as resulting from hybrid warfare, arguing that unconventional tools such as TikTok, social media and YouTube are being used to foment disorder within Western nations, without the West responding adequately. According to intelligence sources, investigators are examining the hypothesis of possible external orchestration behind the social media mobilization that brought hundreds of young people to the streets.

Crosetto's position divided political reactions. Matteo Salvini, minister for the League, firmly rejected any geopolitical conspiracy theory, characterizing the clashes as simple criminal acts. Elly Schlein, leader of the Democratic Party, called on Crosetto to report to Parliament whether he possesses information on hybrid warfare, pointing out that summons are circulating online and messages on Telegram and WhatsApp are being used to intimidate people.

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