Far-left demonstrations in Turin erupted into violent clashes, widespread destruction and attacks on police officers over the weekend.
Around 20,000 activists from Italy and across Europe gathered for the rally, which spiralled into chaos on the afternoon of January 31, leaving at least 11 police officers injured — one of them beaten with a hammer in what Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described as an “attempted murder”.
The demonstration was organised in response to the December eviction of Askatasuna, a Turin-based social centre that had been occupied for nearly three decades and considered a key base for Italy’s radical Left.
It was shut down following an incident in which activists occupied and vandalised the headquarters of the daily newspaper La Stampa, accusing it of producing coverage perceived as too sympathetic to Israel.
Security forces had anticipated unrest, intercepting individuals carrying knives, batons, heavy tools and other items. Multiple exclusion orders were issued against known violent individuals, yet many militants managed to enter the city undetected.
The demonstration merged into a major march, with Palestinian flags waved and slogans against the government and law enforcement chanted along the route.
By late afternoon, tensions reached breaking point. Investigators believe radical groups used pauses in the march to distribute improvised explosives, fireworks, hammers and sticks. A co-ordinated “black bloc” formation — masked individuals dressed in black — then took to the front lines, initiating clashes.
Banks and shops were vandalised, explosives thrown at police lines and several vehicles set on fire. Streets quickly became battlegrounds, with debris and broken pavement slabs used as weapons. Police responded with tear gas and water cannon, regaining partial control after nearly two hours.
Authorities estimate that 600 to 700 hardened activists were responsible for most of the violence, including participants who travelled from France, Spain, Austria and other parts of Italy. Emergency services treated 25 to 30 individuals, including both demonstrators and officers.
The officer attacked with a hammer was struck repeatedly on the head and shoulders, each blow sending him staggering backward, his helmet dented and blood streaking his face. He is expected to recover.
The clashes have reignited a national debate on political extremism, public security and the boundaries of protest in democratic societies.
Meloni condemned the attacks as “not acts of dissent or protest, but violent assaults on the state and its representatives”, while President Sergio Mattarella expressed solidarity with the injured officer and security forces.
The events in Turin have given fresh momentum to the government’s push to approve a legislative package aimed at expanding public order and policing powers. These include provisions ranging from legal immunity for officers involved in violent incidents to the preventive detention of individuals deemed suspicious ahead of demonstrations.
Opposition ranks accused the government of trying to exploit the incident, while the government has accused the Left of being sympathetic towards the violent groups.
