Five People Arrested in Turin for Riots at Pro-Palestine Demonstrations

Italian police in Turin conducted a large-scale operation on the morning of 19 February 2026, executing 18 preventive measures against individuals suspected of involvement in violent incidents during pro-Palestine demonstrations in autumn 2025. These measures, issued by an investigating judge at the request of the prosecutor's office, include five house arrest orders and twelve orders to report daily to the police. The operation was carried out by Digos, the division for public security and counter-terrorism. All those detained, aged between 19 and 29, are linked to the local autonomous movement, particularly the closed Askatasuna social centre and the Cua and Ksa collectives. Charges include active resistance to public officials, use of violence, and property damage. The investigating judge stated in the justification that "the gravity of the acts committed by the suspects during protest demonstrations makes the danger [of their repetition] concrete, serious, and more than current." The operation is the culmination of an investigation into a series of incidents that shook Turin between September and November 2025. Among the most serious is the attack on the headquarters of the newspaper 'La Stampa' on 2 October, during which demonstrators broke into the building, smashed windows, and shouted offensive slogans at journalists. That same evening, a group also attacked the OGR (Officine Grandi Riparazioni), an important cultural centre in the city. Earlier, on 24 September, during the so-called Global Sumud Flotilla march, demonstrators forced the gates of Porta Nuova station, entered the tracks, and blocked train traffic for about 80 minutes, paralyzing connections. The autonomous movement in Italy, originating from left-wing and anarchist traditions of the 1970s, has a long history of confrontation with authorities. Social centres, such as Askatasuna, often function as informal meeting places and protest organisation hubs, sometimes occupying abandoned buildings. Conflicts over the occupation of spaces and demonstrations have been a constant feature of the Italian political scene for decades. Reactions to the arrests are divided. Authorities emphasize the need to protect public order and citizen safety. In contrast, left-wing and autonomous circles condemn the operation as an act of political repression. "From besieging the entrances to the Leonardo bookshop, through the raids on the OGR and 'La Stampa', the Turin prosecutor's office continues to build its house of cards," the collectives wrote in a statement. They added that "repression against the struggle for Palestine in Turin continues" and announced further resistance, including participation in an upcoming meeting of movements in Livorno. A symbolic aspect of this case is the public expression of remorse by one of the detainees, Vittoria Antonioli Arduini, a student at the prestigious Holden writing school. Unlike many co-suspects who maintain a confrontational stance, Antonioli Arduini publicly expressed regret before the investigating judge. „Violence is not the answer. I will dedicate my time to become better.” — Vittoria Antonioli Arduini Her case shows internal diversity among the protesters and the possibility of individual reflection on the methods used.