Milan, Oct. 26 (LaPresse) – A group of people broke into the Leonardo da Vinci High School in Genoa overnight, which had been occupied by students, and vandalized it using clubs and metal bars, leaving slogans praising fascism and Nazism. The incident was reported on Facebook by Avs councillor Simone Leoncini. “An organized group of dozens of thugs armed with iron bars, shouting ‘Long live the Duce,’ broke through the school’s entrance, vandalized spaces, terrified the students present, and defaced walls with swastikas. A premeditated attack, bearing a clear criminal and fascist mark. Unfortunately, the police, though repeatedly alerted, intervened only hours later, while the attackers took control of the school after overcoming the brave resistance of the students. An act of unprecedented gravity that calls for maximal democratic vigilance. The school should be a sacred place, a forge of citizenship,” he wrote.
According to initial investigations, the group obtained poles and other materials from a nearby construction site, then forced the entrance door, damaging desks and fixtures and writing on two interior walls of the building. There was also improper use of fire extinguishers. The group fled after the raid. No injuries were reported, and there was no direct contact between the attackers and the students occupying the building. The principal arrived immediately at the scene. Extensive investigations are underway through analysis of local surveillance footage, collection of forensic evidence by the Scientific Police, and witness statements to determine the exact sequence of events and identify the perpetrators, all very young, some possibly minors.