No Tav protest in Val di Susa turns violent: stones, paper bombs and tear gas at San Didero and Chiomonte construction sites

What happened during the march

Tensions erupted around the San Didero construction site on the afternoon of 25 July 2026, when several hundred activists from what organisers and media described as the most antagonistic and extremist wing of the No Tav movement threw stones and paper bombs at police guarding the site. The clashes lasted about twenty minutes. Police responded with tear gas to disperse the group. Shortly afterwards, a larger group of hooded and disguised individuals attempted to reach the Chiomonte construction site, a long-standing flashpoint. They attacked on multiple fronts with paper bombs and stones; police deployed tear gas and water cannons in response.

Scale of the protest

The march, labelled the "March towards the construction sites of devastation" by organisers, departed from Venaus in the early afternoon. Organisers claimed 20,000 participants took part, while La Stampa described the turnout as the largest in years. Shortly after starting, the procession split into two columns: one group of around 10,000 people headed towards Chiomonte via the Giaglione road, and a second, equally large column moved towards Susa with San Didero as its final destination. A smaller splinter group broke off to reach the Salbertrand site, where they performed the traditional "battitura delle reti" (beating of the fences).

Security measures and seizures

Before the march, police seized slingshots, rockets, marbles, firecrackers, and fireworks at Bardonecchia station. The prefect of Turin, Donato Cafagna, had imposed restrictions and bans on public-order grounds, while the police commissioner Massimo Gambino issued fourteen measures including urban daspos (prohibition of access to urban areas) and orders to leave Venaus.

We were there, we are there, we will be there. Now and always No Tav.

Railway disruption

Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI), acting on a prefect's order from the previous week, suspended train circulation on the Turin-Modane line as a precaution from 1 p.m. because people were present near the tracks.

Festival backdrop

The march was organised to coincide with the tenth edition of the Alta Felicità festival, a cultural and musical gathering that runs until 26 July and draws numerous artists to the valley each year. Many participants had already arrived in the preceding days and set up camp in the traditional No Tav campsite opened for the festival.