The government of Giorgia Meloni in Italy has toughened measures to suppress violence at public demonstrations. In a video message, the prime minister announced increased prison sentences for those who incite unrest during protests. She stressed that penalties can now reach up to five years in prison and a €20,000 fine, with harsher sentences applying when a person’s face is covered or when someone is injured. In what could have been a scene from an Italian surrealist film, Meloni also declared that anyone responsible for damages will be billed directly — and that if public property is destroyed, “the prefect will send the invoice to your home.”
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Italy: What Giorgia Meloni said
“A new criminal offense has been introduced — violent participation in a demonstration: if during a march, together with five or more people, you start throwing rocks, sticks, or endangering public safety, you risk being sentenced to up to five years in prison, with a fine of twenty thousand euros,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated in her video message.
“If your face was covered or if you injured someone, the penalties increase — as they also increase for group acts of destruction. At the same time, these measures apply a simple principle: whoever is responsible for the damage, pays. And if a minor is responsible for the damage, their parents will pay,” added the head of the Rome government.
She also explained that in cases involving destruction of public property, the prefect will send the bill directly to the offender’s home, while in cases involving damage to private property, the owner will go before a judge, who will issue an order for immediate payment,” Meloni added.
The Italian prime minister also announced that the preventive detention of suspects ahead of demonstrations will be extended to include minors.
“I want to be clear: there is no political idea, no social hardship, no form of opposition that can justify the destruction of a shop in order to loot its merchandise. Behind that shop window is a family that has invested a lifetime of sacrifice, workers who risk losing their jobs, and citizens who have the right to live in their city without fear. There is nothing revolutionary about stealing and destroying. Theft and destruction are not protest — we are talking about criminality. And the response of the state must be decisive,” Giorgia Meloni concluded.
Manifestare è un diritto, devastare le nostre città no. Ecco le misure che abbiamo approvato per contrastare la violenza e tutelare la sicurezza dei cittadini. pic.twitter.com/kqk51X8YZa
— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) October 20, 2026
