What new police powers is Giorgia Meloni’s government proposing for minors after the Italy riots?

Police would be allowed to hold people under 18 at police stations for up to 12 hours without evidence that they committed a crime, provided there is evidence they pose a danger. The measures are also expected to allow authorities to bar youths from events or designated areas when they are considered a public-safety risk.

Why is Italy deploying additional army troops in Milan before Saturday’s demonstrations?

Authorities fear further unrest at demonstrations planned for Saturday after hooded protesters, many believed to be minors, set bins ablaze and looted shops in Milan and other cities. Salvini said authorities could not wait until the planned demonstrations to intervene because social-media posts suggested stores in Como might be targeted.

How are Italy’s security crackdowns affecting protests and social conditions?

Critics say repeated security crackdowns do little to address the underlying causes of crime and disorder. A Bologna criminal defence lawyer said the government’s new crimes make protesting riskier, especially for migrants seeking residence permits or citizenship, while Italy also faces stagnant wages and widening wealth concentration.

Italy's Meloni to boost police arrest powers in response to weekend riots

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Summary

Italy will approve new security measures in Rome on Tuesday after weekend riots in Milan and other cities. The measures would allow police to detain people under 18 for up to 12 hours if they are deemed a danger, even without having committed a crime. Rome is also expected to deploy 500 additional army troops in Milan ahead of planned Saturday demonstrations. The government says it needs to act quickly amid fears of further unrest.

Key Facts

Interior Undersecretary Nicola Molteni said the government would approve an emergency decree to implement security rules immediately.
The unrest followed initially peaceful demonstrations over poor public services and rising costs, during which protesters set bins ablaze, looted shops and vandalised property.
Italy’s prison population has risen by more than 17 percent in four years, equivalent to nearly 10,000 people, according to government data.
The top 10 percent of Italian households held 60 percent of net household wealth in 2023, about 7 percentage points more than in 2010, according to the Bank of Italy.

By Reuters

Published Oct 20, 2026 10:01 pm KST

Teachers stand between anti riot Police and students at Piazza Castello in the center of Turin during the 'No Meloni Day', a national day of marches across Italy inspired by what is happening in France and Spain, to protest against the cost of living, the School Decree, the condition of school buildings and demanding increased funding, Oct. 16. AFP-Yonhap

ROME — Italy will approve new security measures on Tuesday targeting minors, politicians said, after days of unrest that have seen demonstrators clash with police, loot shops and vandalise property.

Under the crackdown, law enforcers will be allowed to detain people under the age of 18 at police stations for 12 hours, even if they have not committed a crime, provided there is evidence they pose a danger, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said.

Rome is also expected to deploy an additional 500 army troops in Milan as authorities fear more unrest at demonstrations planned for Saturday.

"We want to intervene quickly on young people," Salvini told RTL radio broadcaster ahead of a cabinet meeting called on Tuesday to approve the measures.

Several hundred hooded protesters, many believed to be minors, set bins ablaze and looted shops in the centres of Milan and other cities over the weekend, after initially peaceful demonstrations over poor public services and rising costs.

The disturbances echoed riots in neighbouring France, where hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets on Saturday in some of the country's most violent protests in years.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has passed a steady stream of security crackdowns since taking office in 2022, which critics say do little to address the underlying causes of crime and disorder.

Italy's prison population has increased by more than 17 percent over four years, or nearly 10,000 people, government data shows.

Marina Prosperi, a criminal defence lawyer in Bologna, said the main effect of numerous new crimes the government had put on the statute book was to make protesting more risky, especially for migrants seeking residence permits or citizenship.

The latest unrest comes as soaring energy costs complicate Meloni's plans to fund tax cuts and spending increases in next year's budget, the last before a national election due in late 2027.

Italy faces growing concentration of wealth among top earners and stagnant real wages for low- and middle-income workers.

The top 10 percent of Italian households held 60 percent of net household wealth in 2023, up about 7 percentage points from 2010, according to the Bank of Italy.

Interior Undersecretary Nicola Molteni told broadcaster Radio 24 the government would approve an "emergency decree" to immediately implement security rules that have been the subject of debate in parliament.

These measures are expected to include banning youths from attending events or entering designated areas if there is reason to believe they could endanger public safety.

"People on TikTok are saying they plan to raid stores in Como on Saturday. We cannot wait until Saturday afternoon to intervene," Salvini said.

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