High tension in Turin during the demonstration for the Askatasuna social centre , which was evicted in recent weeks.
Molotov cocktails, flares, and fireworks were thrown by protesters, and tear gas was fired in response by the police, who formed a tight cordon blocking their path.
Autonomous protesters and anarchists, some with their faces covered, were in action on Corso Regina Margherita. The police then began advancing, both with personnel and a water cannon, toward the opposing groups, attempting to force them back. Several dumpsters were set on fire.
The autonomists also raided the Einaudi Campus university building, where further clashes were reported, with objects being thrown and police charging.
Numerous injuries were reported. A video shows a dozen protesters approaching a police officer and attacking him with kicks, punches, and a hammer , also pointing a green laser beam at him. The officer, on the ground, loses his helmet and tries to walk away, covering his head with his hands. A RAI television crew was also attacked. About ten people were arrested.
Most of the thousands of people who marched through Askatasuna on Saturday afternoon dispersed, having followed the pre-established route without incident before the clashes began.
The guerrilla warfare in Turin has sparked harsh political reactions. "This is neither dissent nor protest: it is violent aggression aimed at targeting the state and its representatives. And for this reason, they must be treated for what they are, without concessions or justification," Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni commented.
After the incident, the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella called the Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi to ask him to convey his solidarity to the attacked officer and to all law enforcement officers who have suffered violence.
Condemnations also from the left: «For us who have always been non-
"The violence that occurred during the Turin demonstration is unacceptable," wrote Avs in a statement signed by the two leaders Angelo Bonelli and Nicola Fratoianni. They added: "We express our full solidarity with the members of the RAI crew who were subjected to an unacceptable attack and with the injured officers. We firmly and unambiguously condemn the violence unleashed by a fringe group that has nothing to do with the motivations that motivated the vast majority of protesters, nor with the defense of social spaces and the right to demonstrate, which remain issues of primary importance for us."
(Unioneonline)