Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has revealed that around half of the 330 people stopped or arrested during the weekend’s violent riots were of immigrant background, as her government announced sweeping security measures targeting far-left extremists and vandals, including prison sentences of up to five years and fines reaching €20,000.
In a video statement published on Tuesday, 20 October, Meloni said those of foreign origin included both individuals born abroad and Italian-born children of immigrant families. The figures emerged after two days of violent unrest in Milan and other northern Italian cities, where masked rioters looted shops, smashed storefronts, erected burning barricades and attacked police officers.
Giorgia Meloni on X (formerly Twitter): “Manifestare è un diritto, devastare le nostre città no. Ecco le misure che abbiamo approvato per contrastare la violenza e tutelare la sicurezza dei cittadini. pic.twitter.com/kqk51X8YZa / X”
Manifestare è un diritto, devastare le nostre città no. Ecco le misure che abbiamo approvato per contrastare la violenza e tutelare la sicurezza dei cittadini. pic.twitter.com/kqk51X8YZa
In Milan alone, police detained or brought in 271 people on Sunday, including 220 minors. Of the 32 arrested, 13 were foreign nationals, while Italian media reported a substantial presence of second-generation immigrant youths among the rioters. Meloni said nearly 200 officers had been injured during the wider unrest, with damage in Milan estimated at around €1 million. The youngest person identified was reportedly just 11 years old.
The violence bears striking similarities to the far-left riots engulfing neighbouring France, which began in heavily immigrant-background suburbs of Paris before spreading nationwide. The unrest has increasingly been exploited by far-left organizations and Antifa militants, as well as Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s France Unbowed (LFI). The government said LFI and its far-left proxies were organizing the destructive riots.
‘Anyone participating in violent demonstrations as part of a group of at least five people faces up to five years in prison’
Saturday’s escalation in France left historic buildings ablaze, businesses looted and public institutions vandalized. More than 2,400 people were arrested nationwide, while around 1,000 police officers were injured. The violence had also spread to Belgium earlier in October, most notably to Liège, where authorities similarly said that Antifa militants were exploiting student demonstrations. More than 58 per cent of Liège’s population is of foreign origin or holds foreign nationality, including 21.1 per cent who are foreign citizens.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele sharply criticized French President Emmanuel Macron’s handling of the unrest on Sunday, arguing that France could restore order ‘in a week’ by adopting a determined response comparable to his crackdown on criminal gangs. His remarks underscored the starkly different approaches taken by Macron and Meloni towards tackling the riots.
Under the emergency decree now approved by Meloni’s cabinet, anyone participating in violent demonstrations as part of a group of at least five people faces up to five years in prison and fines of up to €20,000. Penalties increase when offenders conceal their faces or cause injuries. Justice Minister Carlo Nordio also announced prison sentences of four to 12 years for organizing groups for violent demonstrations, including through social media.
The decree additionally makes parents financially responsible for damage caused by their underage children, expands preventive detention measures targeting minors and makes it easier to prosecute offenders aged 14–17. Another 500 soldiers will be deployed to Milan until the end of the year, while juvenile detention facilities and courts will receive additional resources.
‘There is nothing revolutionary about vandalizing and stealing,’ Meloni declared, adding that legitimate economic grievances could never justify attacks on businesses and police. ‘Vandalism and theft are not protest, they are criminality.’
The measures take effect through an emergency decree that must receive parliamentary approval within 60 days.
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