Unrest in Italy/ Searches in 18 cities, 51 minors identified; Milan placed under tight security ahead of new protests

Following the violent incidents of October 17 and 18, Italian authorities have strengthened security measures. Intelligence services are investigating whether the protests may have been incited through a mobilization scheme similar to the so-called “Ceuta model,” while further rallies have been announced for Saturday in Milan and other cities.

Police searches have been carried out in 18 Italian cities, where homes and individuals suspected of involvement in clashes during the protests have been checked.

The investigations were led by the Directorate of State Police for the Prevention and Investigation of Crimes (Digos). So far, around 100 people have been checked, including 51 minors suspected of taking part in the serious unrest.

The operation was carried out in Arezzo, Bari, Bergamo, Bolzano, Bologna, Como, Florence, Genoa, Lodi, Naples, Pescara, Padua, Cremona, Verbania, Aosta, Monza, Varese and Verona. Some searches were conducted on the orders of judicial authorities, while others were initiated by the police themselves.

Following the violence recorded in Milan, Italian intelligence agencies are analyzing whether unidentified organizers are behind the mobilization of protesters.

Bruno Valensise, director of the Agency for Internal Information and Security (AISI), assessed that an organizational method similar to the “Ceuta model” may have been used. His analysis was published by the newspaper La Repubblica.

According to the suspicions raised, protesters’ anger may have been exploited by certain individuals, who mobilized them through social media and specially created leaflets produced with the help of artificial intelligence.

Valensise presented this assessment during a more than three-hour hearing held on Thursday, October 22, before the Parliamentary Committee for the Security of the Republic (COPASIR).

So far, no evidence has been found of the involvement of a foreign organization in organizing the unrest. Experts are trying to determine who may have activated this mobilization mechanism. A few days earlier, Defense Minister Guido Crosetto had also warned of the possibility of hybrid warfare linked to the events in Milan.

Italian security services expect new rallies on Saturday, October 24, in Milan and other parts of the country. According to their assessments, radical and anarchist groups may be seeking to establish links with new participants who have recently joined the protests.

Valensise warned, according to La Repubblica, that some people may try to infiltrate marches in order to cause incidents, particularly by provoking clashes with law enforcement.

Milan will be under heightened security during Saturday’s protests. Law enforcement forces will be deployed along the route from the railway station area to the city center, while searches will also be carried out.

Some 500 paratroopers from the “Folgore” brigade are expected to be part of the operation. They may be deployed on patrols, including mobile patrols, and intervene if necessary.

Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said that, depending on the situation, “Lince” armored vehicles and drones could also be used.

Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala has asked shopkeepers not to close their businesses out of fear of possible unrest.

“I urge them not to do so, but it is clear that this may remain only an invitation. In the end, the decision is theirs,” Sala said at a press conference.

The mayor warned that spreading panic could worsen the situation and said he would try to go out himself to shop at one of the city’s stores. Meanwhile, Italian authorities remain on high alert, as Saturday’s protests are seen as another test of public security following last weekend’s clashes.