Italian law enforcement agencies carried out 60 searches across 23 cities on October 31, 2026, targeting individuals suspected of using online chats and social media platforms to incite violence ahead of public demonstrations, Ottopagine reported. The coordinated operation by the Digos and the Postal Police followed a series of turbulent street protests earlier in the month.
Nationwide Raids Focus on Social Media Incitement and October Unrest
The searches were authorized by judicial authorities or conducted independently by investigators examining individuals suspected of spreading calls to violence. The sweeping crackdown linked directly to participant activity during street disturbances on October 17, October 18, and October 24, 2026.
Alongside Avellino, the 23 affected cities span the Italian peninsula, including Ancona, Bari, Bergamo, Bologna, Bolzano, Brescia, Cagliari, Firenze, La Spezia, Messina, Monza, Napoli, Novara, Parma, Perugia, Ravenna, Reggio Emilia, Roma, Siracusa, Torino, Trieste, and Verona.
Seized Weapons, Tools, and Digital Evidence Recovered in Raids
During the nationwide sweeps, investigators seized various weapons, tools, and digital devices. In the Messina area, police confiscated two blank-firing pistols, a glass-breaking tool, and a baseball bat. Authorities in Bergamo recovered a Beretta 92 FS pellet pistol replica, a rudimentary knife, and three cell phones.
Additional seizures included a blank-firing pistol lacking a red safety cap in Cagliari and a toy pistol in Parma. In the Turin area, officers seized mobile phones and clothing items suspected of being stolen during looting episodes. Investigators in Bologna found videos documenting the October 24 clashes on two confiscated phones, while Brescia police recovered specific garments worn during the earlier unrest.
Unannounced Protests in Rome Yield Hundreds of Identifications
In Rome, following unannounced street marches on October 30, 2026, police identified 369 individuals and filed formal complaints against seven people. Two suspects face charges of aggravated resistance to a public official, while another two face allegations of face-covering and carrying objects capable of causing injury. Additional individual charges include road obstruction and carrying offensive items.
The Digos unit is actively reviewing video footage from a demonstration block on Viale Aventino, where protesters sat on the roadway to disrupt traffic and hinder police identification procedures.
Police Union Reports Thirteen Law Enforcement Officers Injured
The national police union Coisp released casualty figures resulting from the confrontations. Domenico Pianese stated that eleven police officers and two Carabinieri sustained injuries during the protests. According to Coisp data, six officers were injured in Mestre, four in Vicenza, and one officer alongside two Carabinieri in Turin. One injured officer suffered a displaced hand fracture requiring surgical intervention.
Coisp asserted that the declared objective of the demonstrators was to instigate direct clashes with authorities and force security cordons to reach institutional buildings, pointing to attempted marches toward Parliament in Rome and the Prefect’s office in Turin.
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