"When you hit someone with a hammer, you do it knowing that the consequences can be very, very serious. It's not a protest, it's not a clash. It's called attempted murder." Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has no doubts, asking the judiciary not to hesitate in light of the images of the police officer attacked by a group of anarchists yesterday in Turin.
The Prime Minister met with that policeman, Alessandro Calista, in the hospital to offer him "Italy's solidarity." This was a day marked by damage assessments and controversy: one hundred law enforcement officers were injured and the majority's decision to accelerate the security crackdown. Next Tuesday, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who has remained in constant contact with the Turin Prefecture, will recount the urban warfare that broke out last night in a briefing to Parliament.
What is currently certain is the arrest of a 22-year-old man who was reportedly part of the group that brutally attacked Calista, kicking, punching, and hitting her with a hammer. The young man, identified by the DIGOS (Italian Special Operations Division) thanks to video footage, is believed to have been involved with five or six companions. "They are not protesters, they are guerrillas, they are armed gangs whose objective is to attack the state and those who serve it," thundered Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, assuring that "they must be fought as the Red Brigades were fought."
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who called the attacked officer, echoed Meloni's comments. "I read that, thanks in part to the security decree promoted by the League, one of the criminals was arrested with a deferred arrest," he said. "But I expect him to be charged with at least attempted murder, not assault." Currently, the 22-year-old's arrest, carried out with a deferred arrest warrant, has been triggered for "complicity in causing personal injury to a public official serving in public order during demonstrations."
A robbery charge has also been filed, as Calista's shield, U-bot, and gas mask were taken. However, several government officials, including Public Administration Minister Paolo Zangrillo, are insisting on the need to pursue charges of attempted murder. The outcome of the demonstration, which turned violent after dark, was a foregone conclusion for Senate President Ignazio La Russa. "I find it hard to believe that many of those attending the Turin demonstration were unaware of the violent outcome that, due to a large fringe group, was certain to ensue."
Many in the majority accuse the left of "trying to downplay," as Crosetto put it, calling for unity. "The judgment on these events must see us all united, as the political forces were during the years of terrorism." In the evening, the Democratic Party secretary called Meloni, urging her to "not exploit" them and emphasizing that "law enforcement is a state asset, not a partisan issue."
And while the attacked police officer and the one who helped him have been released from the hospital, with 20 and 30-day prognoses, the investigation continues to identify all those responsible not only for the ambush but also for the guerrilla warfare that ravaged the city. Two more protesters, aged 31 and 35, were arrested immediately. After stopping by the police station, 24 of them were charged with crimes ranging from resisting arrest to carrying improper weapons, from disguised clothing to failure to comply with official orders. Seized items included rocks hidden in backpacks, wrenches, slings, and knives. The political controversy has also fully engulfed the City of Turin. Mayor Stefano Lo Russo (Democratic Party) received Giorgia Meloni's "full solidarity with the city from the government," but was attacked by Forza Italia, which urged him to oust AVS from the majority party for its alleged closeness to Askatasuna.
(Unioneonline/D)