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By Melike Pala
BRUSSELS (AA) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Sunday announced that the government will hold a meeting on Monday to assess threats to public order and evaluate new security measures following violent clashes in the northern city of Turin that left more than 100 law enforcement officers injured.
Speaking after visiting two injured police officers in Turin, Meloni said the meeting will focus on recent unrest and the possible adoption of new rules under a proposed security decree.
"We will do what is necessary to restore the rules in this nation," she said in a statement shared on US social media platform X.
Meloni described the violence during Saturday's demonstration as organized "criminal activity" rather than a protest, adding: "When you hit someone with a hammer, you do so knowing that the consequences can be very, very serious. This is not a protest, these are not clashes. This is attempted murder."
According to Italian authorities, a total of 108 members of the security forces were injured in the clashes, including 96 police officers, seven Guardia di Finanza (Financial Police) personnel, and five carabinieri (gendarmerie), ANSA news agency reported.
Meloni also called on the judiciary to apply existing laws firmly, arguing that failure to do so in the past has weakened the state's ability to deter violence. "If we are unable to defend those who defend us, there is no rule of law," she added.
Violent clashes erupted on Saturday night in the northern Italian city of Turin during a demonstration in support of the Askatasuna social center, which had been occupied for nearly 30 years, including one officer who was surrounded and beaten with kicks, punches, and hammer blows during clashes.
While the demonstration initially proceeded peacefully, groups of masked people reportedly broke away after nightfall and attempted to breach police cordons in the Vanchiglia neighborhood.
Police said protesters hurled bottles, stones, homemade incendiary devices, and smoke bombs, set fire to dumpsters and a police armored vehicle, and used street furniture and uprooted lampposts as weapons.
Security forces responded with tear gas, water cannons, and crowd-control charges during clashes that lasted more than an hour.
Shortly after the incident, Meloni condemned what she described as "violent attacks aimed at the state and those who represent it.", adding: "The images of the attacked officer speak for themselves: we are not dealing with protesters, but with individuals acting as enemies of the state."
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi called the protesters "a danger to democracy," accusing parts of the political left of "covering for" violent groups, and said the events confirmed the need for tougher security measures.
The commander of the carabinieri (gendarmerie), Lt. Gen. Salvatore Luongo, described the assault as "an attack on the state," saying violence against law enforcement amounts to an attack on public order and citizen safety.
The clashes have reignited debate over public security and protest policing in Italy.
Senior figures from the ruling coalition, including Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, accused left-wing groups of legitimizing violent behavior and called for accelerated arrests, evictions of occupied social centers, and the adoption of a new security package.
Piantedosi said the government plans to discuss new regulations next week, including the possible reintroduction of preventive police detention for individuals deemed dangerous during demonstrations.
Police estimates put attendance at around 15,000 people, while organizers claimed up to 50,000 participants. The march drew grassroots unions, activists from social centers across Italy, and public figures.
At least three people were arrested during the clashes, including one in connection with the attack on a police officer, according to Rai News. Investigations are ongoing to identify those involved in the attack on the officer and the wider violence.