Following a series of violent incidents during student demonstrations in Italy last weekend, the Italian government held a cabinet meeting today to approve a new security decree. The decree introduces a specific offense for “violent participation in a demonstration,” allows for the 24-hour detention of minors, and authorizes the deployment of an additional 500 military personnel to Milan. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also announced that “biometric and AI technologies” will be used to identify masked individuals who engage in violence.
In a video statement released after the approval of the new security decree, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni noted that, in recent days, Milan and other Italian cities have witnessed unacceptable acts of street vandalism, violence, and looting. Emphasizing that such behavior cannot be downplayed or justified, she stated that the government has enacted this new security decree, which will enable police to utilize biometric technology—including artificial intelligence—to unmask those hiding behind hoods.
Meloni outlined the key provisions of the security decree. First, it establishes a new offense: “violent participation in a demonstration.” Individuals who join a group of five or more people during a protest and throw stones, explosives, or clubs face up to five years in prison and fines of up to 20,000 euros. Penalties will be increased if the perpetrators intentionally conceal their faces, cause injuries to others, or act in a group to inflict large-scale damage.
Second, the decree introduces the principle of “parental liability for damages.” Meloni stated that those who cause destruction must pay for it; in the case of minors, their parents will be held liable. For damage to public infrastructure—such as bus shelters or traffic signals—local authorities may seek compensation. In cases involving private property, owners may file lawsuits and obtain immediate enforcement orders. If a minor engages in wanton destruction, their parents bear the responsibility, and victims may seek compensation from the family’s assets.
Third, the decree allows for the preventive detention of minors. Meloni explained that, previously, when addressing crimes committed by minors aged 14 to 18, the government was required to prove that the individual had the capacity to understand the nature of their actions. The Italian Parliament is currently reviewing a reform bill proposing that, barring evidence to the contrary, minors should be presumed to have the capacity to understand the implications of their actions. With the passage of an emergency security decree today, this new principle has taken immediate effect; preventive detention measures—previously applicable only to adults—now extend to minors as well.
Furthermore, 500 military personnel are being deployed to Milan to assist with public security. Prime Minister Meloni stated that, through the end of this year, the military will work alongside the police, the Carabinieri, and the juvenile justice system—while also increasing the number of judges and expanding institutional capacity—to ensure that minors face appropriate consequences for their actions. She emphasized that the government is determined to prevent such recent incidents from becoming the norm; in Milan alone, nearly 200 police officers have been injured, with damages estimated at 1 million euros.
Regarding the composition of the rioters, Meloni noted that while certain radical fringe groups consistently seek to incite conflict during demonstrations, “there were new faces this time—hundreds of young people, mostly minors, who were drawn to the squares by social media videos to smash property, commit theft, and film themselves in the act.” Meloni stressed that this phenomenon must be taken seriously and that steps must be taken to prevent others from emulating such behavior.
Meloni underscored that there is no justification for vandalism or looting, stating, “Destruction and theft are not acts of revolution; they are crimes, and the state must respond with firm measures.” She confirmed that a significant number of immigrants were involved in the riots, noting that “law enforcement has apprehended 330 individuals, half of whom are foreign nationals—either born abroad or born in Italy to foreign parents.”
Among the minors involved in the riots in Milan, some were as young as 11. Meloni described this as both distressing and alarming, adding that she cannot accept any attempts to justify such behavior for the sake of political expediency. While she acknowledges that many young people face challenges such as a lack of employment opportunities, low wages, and a bleak outlook for the future—issues she has been working to address since taking office—she insisted that “violence is never a solution to these hardships; it only serves to exacerbate them.”