Italian Police Injured in No‑TAV Protests as Government Mulls New Crowd‑Control Gear

More than 150 members of Italy's police forces were injured during violent clashes with protesters opposing the Turin‑Lyon high‑speed rail project in the Val di Susa area. The confrontations left 58 police officers, 48 carabinieri and 18 finance guards wounded, and saw the destruction of four police vehicles, including two belonging to the carabinieri. Authorities identified 436 participants, some arriving from France, Germany and Belgium, and are investigating links between the disturbances in Susa and a separate violent demonstration in Bologna that left 64 officers injured.

The Italian Ministry of the Interior is now reviewing police equipment, including the possible deployment of more powerful crowd‑control tools such as rubber bullets, despite ongoing criticism over the misuse of tear‑gas canisters. Recent cases have highlighted serious injuries caused by improperly aimed canisters, including a 36‑year‑old man who fell into a coma after being struck in the head and a woman who lost sight in one eye during a pro‑Palestine rally. The government’s equipment proposal comes amid a broader debate over how to manage public order while respecting protest rights.

The protests are part of the No‑TAV movement, which opposes the high‑speed rail line on environmental and cost grounds, and have intensified scrutiny of police tactics and the handling of large‑scale demonstrations in Italy.