Turin, three arrests for violent clashes: one involved in the beating of a police officer

The DIGOS of the Turin Police Headquarters has carried out three arrests and filed charges against another 24 individuals for the serious clashes last Saturday during a demonstration. Those arrested are Pietro Desideri, 31, Matteo Campaner, 35, and Angelo Francesco Simionato, 22. The latter, originally from Grosseto, is accused of participating in the brutal beating of police officer Alessandro Calista, in addition to charges of violence against a public official and complicity in robbery.

The investigation, coordinated by Police Chief Massimo Gambino, also led to the seizure of a large arsenal used during the violence: hammers, Molotov cocktails, nail-filled firecrackers, blunt objects, and jammers to disrupt communications. Officers also found balaclavas, gas masks, and offensive tools during home searches. The Turin Prosecutor's Office will request validation of the three arrests from the Judge for Preliminary Investigations in the coming hours.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited the injured police officers hospitalized at Molinette, bringing the solidarity of the State. She also announced a meeting to evaluate new measures in the security decree, including the extension of the urban DASPO (ban on accessing certain areas) to individuals charged or convicted with a non-final sentence for crimes against persons and property.

The clashes in Turin occurred during a demonstration in support of Askatasuna, a Turin social center at the heart of a long legal dispute. Just today, the Turin Prosecutor's Office announced that in the appeal it will request the recognition of a criminal association in the maxi-trial against some historic activists of the center, after the charge was dropped in the first instance. This links the incidents to a case that intertwines the streets, politics, and justice.

The violence on Saturday was organized and planned. Investigators speak of "violence organized at the table" by "antagonists." Before the clashes, Telegram chats were reporting checkpoints, and a six-page "Protest Manual" was circulating with advice on countering tear gas and preventing interceptions. The violent protesters, over 1,500, used a blanket of smoke bombs to put on black clothes and cover their faces, organized into "teams" with code names.

The event attracted violent activists from abroad as well, with 54 foreigners intercepted before the protest, including 35 French and 3 Turks. The beating of police officer Calista, captured in a video that became a symbol of the violence, saw a dozen antagonists with covered faces attacking him with punches, kicks, and hammer blows, while a colleague carried him to safety. The case therefore has national and international dimensions, with consequences pushing the government to review security regulations.