Rome, Feb. 9 (LaPresse) – “Evidently there are those aiming for widespread chaos, a dynamic we have reported and that we are prepared, committed, and determined to confront. I emphasized in Parliament the seriousness of these behaviors, not without noting that, unfortunately, there are those who try to downplay them, thereby risking, even unintentionally, granting some justification to the strategy behind them.” This is what Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said in an interview with Corriere della Sera, regarding the recent clashes during protests and the sabotage on the high-speed rail.
“The comparison with the Years of Lead? Every comparison must be balanced and approached with caution. History almost never repeats itself in the same way, and nothing from the past returns identically,” he explains. “The point is another: the anti-establishment movement publicly declares its subversive objective of undermining the democratic system. They have said and written it clearly, with words accompanying very serious acts of political violence. There is a risk of further escalation. This is exactly what history teaches us. Should we remain silent just to avoid contradicting or offending those who think differently?”
“The opposition accuses us of merely engaging in propaganda? What happened in Turin and what has occurred at many demonstrations over the past two years should concern anyone who values legality and security as pillars of our democracy. Isolating and neutralizing the professionals of violence should be a shared goal,” he continues.
Regarding the new regulations: “If I had not been convinced of their usefulness, I would not have proposed them. Such a complex, varied, and evolving phenomenon as political violence and urban terrorism must be addressed with all possible tools. Only in this way will citizens who genuinely want to demonstrate peacefully be able to march with one less criminal next to them. The police chief is already working to provide the proper directives to organize a balanced and effective application of the newly introduced measure,” he adds.