Civil unrest and political response in Italy

Following violent unrest in Milan and other Italian cities that resulted in millions of euros in damages and injuries to 141 law enforcement officers, political leaders have called for increased accountability and stricter enforcement.

Maurizio Gasparri, President of the Senate Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, demanded that those responsible for property damage provide immediate reimbursement. He suggested that parents of minors should be held liable for damages if the children lack financial means, and urged the judiciary to conduct immediate trials for flagrant crimes rather than releasing suspects.

Salerno Mayor Vincenzo De Luca has advocated for a hardline response, specifically supporting the use of police defensive tools, such as batons, to deter vandals. De Luca described such measures as having a “pedagogical effect” for those attempting to destroy storefronts.

Addressing the involvement of minors, De Luca proposed a dual approach: repression for active aggression and reform opportunities for younger children. He suggested that if children under 14 are caught in the act, their parents should face immediate fines of 10,000 to 20,000 euros, with actual damages calculated later. Furthermore, De Luca expressed support for lowering the age of criminal responsibility, arguing that teenagers aged 15 or 16 are “fully capable of distinguishing right from wrong.”