POLPolitics NO. ---

Italy security decree: 500 troops for Milan, new protest offence

After a weekend of looting and clashes in Milan, Giorgia Meloni's government approved a decree with a new offence for violent protest, tougher rules for teenagers and fines for parents. A plan to give soldiers police powers was dropped.

By Rowan Ashby Published 21.10.26 09:56 UTC 7 min read

Exterior facade of Palazzo Chigi, the seat of the Italian government, in Rome — DellaGherardesca / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0 · Source

Key takeaways

Italy's Council of Ministers approved an emergency decree-law on public security and juvenile crime on 20 October 2026, after a weekend of looting and clashes with police in central Milan.
The decree creates a new offence of violent participation in a public demonstration, punishable by two to five years in prison, and lets authorities fine the parents of minors involved in damage.
Minors aged 14 to 18 are now presumed criminally responsible unless proven otherwise, and some arrest and pre-emptive detention powers have been extended to them.
An extra 500 soldiers are being sent to Milan under the "Strade Sicure" (Safe Streets) programme until 31 December 2026, but a draft clause giving them police powers was dropped, reportedly after objections from the presidency.
Opposition leaders condemned the violence but called the decree a sign of government failure; children's and prison-rights groups had already criticised the age-of-responsibility change when it was first proposed in July.

What happened in Milan

Italy's cabinet approved an emergency security decree on 20 October 2026 after weekend riots in Milan, creating a violent-protest offence punishable by two to five years in prison and sending 500 more soldiers to the city.

Figures on the scale of the disorder differ by source. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said nearly 200 police officers had been injured and 330 people detained, according to Euronews. The Associated Press, as carried by France 24, reported that more than 100 officers were hurt over two days and that about 50 people were arrested, more than 30 of them minors. Il Sole 24 Ore reported that more than 200 young people had been detained, around 80% of them under 18. The retailers' association Confcommercio estimated damage in Milan at roughly one million euros, according to Adnkronos and Infodifesa.

Meloni convened a public-order summit at Palazzo Chigi on 19 October with her deputy prime ministers and the interior and defence ministers, Il Sole 24 Ore reported. The cabinet approved the decree the following evening, ANSA reported at 18:53 local time on 20 October.

What the decree contains

The government has not yet published the final text in the Official Gazette, so the details below are based on the government's press conference and the draft as reported by several Italian and international outlets. Some details may change before or during parliamentary review.

Measure	What it does (as reported)	Source
New offence: violent participation in a demonstration	2 to 5 years in prison and a fine of 10,000 to 20,000 euros for taking part in an organised group of about five or more people that uses objects capable of causing harm; penalties rise by a third to a half if faces are covered or targets include energy or public-service infrastructure	Adnkronos; Il Post; Al Jazeera
Organisers and online promoters	4 to 12 years in prison for organising or promoting such a group, including via social media	Adnkronos; Euronews (citing Justice Minister Carlo Nordio)
Minors aged 14 to 18	Presumed criminally responsible unless proven otherwise (previously a judge assessed this case by case); deferred arrest in flagrante extended to minors	Il Post; Euronews; France 24/AP
Pre-emptive detention	Up to 12 hours, extended to operations in crowded places and to minors, with existing safeguards kept	Infodifesa; Il Post
Parents of minors	Administrative fine of 500 to 1,000 euros, rising to 1,000 to 2,000 euros for repeat cases, unless the parent shows they could not have prevented the act	Adnkronos; Infodifesa
Damage compensation	Prefects can order prompt compensation for damage to public property	Infodifesa; Al Jazeera
Assault on police	Even minor injuries to police officers are prosecuted automatically, without a complaint	Euronews; Adnkronos
Gathering bans	Provincial police chiefs (questori) can ban people, including those aged 14 and over, from gathering in public places for up to a year	Infodifesa; Adnkronos
Troops	500 more soldiers for Milan under Strade Sicure until 31 December 2026, with 4.7 million euros in funding; no arrest or investigative powers	Infodifesa; Il Post; France 24/AP

Because it is a decree-law, the measures take effect immediately, but parliament must convert the decree into law within 60 days or it lapses, Il Post and France 24 reported. Parliament can also amend it during that process.

How it would change the policing of protests

The main practical shift is in how police can act during and after large demonstrations. The new offence targets participation in a violent group, not only specific acts of damage, and the extended deferred-arrest rules allow police to arrest suspects after the event, provided clear evidence is gathered within 48 hours, Il Post reported. Pre-emptive detention in crowded places and one-year gathering bans give the police more tools before an event. The 14-and-over threshold means teenagers, who made up a large share of those detained in Milan according to Il Sole 24 Ore and AP, fall within most of these powers.

Soldiers will not act as police. Il Post reported that the 500 troops will add to roughly 6,000 already deployed across Italy under Strade Sicure, and the Defence Ministry said they would reinforce security at key sites and step up surveillance of sensitive locations, according to Al Jazeera. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said a provincial security committee meeting in Milan on 21 October would look at more dynamic patrolling and possible "innovative" roles for the military, Infodifesa reported.

The clause that was dropped

An earlier draft would have made the 500 soldiers judicial police officers with arrest powers. That clause was removed. Italian media, citing parliamentary sources, reported that the change followed a long exchange with the offices of President Sergio Mattarella, who had reservations. Il Fatto Quotidiano also reported opposition from the Interior Ministry, on the grounds that arrests require specially trained staff, and Infodifesa reported criticism from police unions. The presidency has made no public statement on the issue.

The government's case

Meloni framed the decree as a defence of lawful protest. "Destroying and stealing is not protest, it is crime, and the state's response must be firm," she said in a video posted after the cabinet meeting, as quoted by Al Jazeera and Euronews. According to Adnkronos, she also said that demonstrating is a right but devastating cities is not. She called the presence of so many young rioters "painful and frightening", France 24 reported.

Coalition partners backed tougher action. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini welcomed the troop deployment on social media as "a victory for the League", Il Sole 24 Ore reported, while Forza Italia has pushed a separate bill that would lower the age of criminal responsibility to 13.

Opposition and critics

Opposition leaders condemned the violence but blamed the government. Five Star Movement leader Giuseppe Conte called the damage in Milan unacceptable but said responsibility for public order lies with "this government, which cannot offload it onto others", Il Fatto Quotidiano reported.

Angelo Bonelli of the Greens and Left Alliance (AVS), speaking before the final text dropped the police-powers clause, described the troop deployment as a certificate of the government's "total failure" on security and said the problem "is not solved by militarising cities", according to Il Fatto Quotidiano. His AVS colleague Nicola Fratoianni said everyone condemns violence but argued that the government's tools "are always the same and are ineffective", adding that it had raised penalties and invented new offences without results. The newspaper did not report a detailed statement on the decree from Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein.

Children's and prison-rights groups had already objected to the change in the age of criminal responsibility when the cabinet first approved it as a bill in July 2026. UNICEF Italia expressed "great concern" and said a minor's maturity should be assessed case by case, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The prison-rights association Antigone said there was no juvenile crime emergency, according to Giornale Radio Sociale. Bullquill found no new statements from these groups on the October decree at the time of writing.

What it means

The decree moves measures that were already under debate, notably the presumption of responsibility for 14-year-olds, into force immediately, bypassing the slower bill process in the Senate. Its supporters argue it gives police and courts faster tools against organised violence; critics argue that harsher penalties have not worked before and that the measures risk treating teenagers like adults.

Three things will shape what happens next. First, the published text in the Official Gazette will settle details that outlets reported differently, such as the exact group-size threshold. Second, parliament has 60 days to convert, amend or let the decree lapse, and the government holds a majority in both chambers. Third, further demonstrations were planned in major cities on 24 and 30 October, according to Il Sole 24 Ore, which will be the first test of the new rules. With national elections due in 2027, Al Jazeera noted, rising prices and public order are likely to remain central political issues.

Frequently asked questions

What did Italy's government approve on 20 October 2026?

The Council of Ministers approved a decree-law on public security and juvenile crime. It creates an offence of violent participation in a demonstration, presumes 14- to 18-year-olds criminally responsible unless proven otherwise, fines parents of minors involved in damage and sends 500 more soldiers to Milan.

Will the soldiers in Milan have police powers?

No. A draft clause that would have given the 500 soldiers judicial police powers, including arrests, was dropped. Italian media reported this followed reservations from the offices of President Sergio Mattarella.

Is the decree already law?

A decree-law takes effect immediately, but parliament must convert it into law within 60 days or it lapses. Lawmakers can amend it during that process.

How have opposition parties responded?

Opposition leaders condemned the violence in Milan but blamed the government. Giuseppe Conte of the Five Star Movement said public order is the government's responsibility, and AVS leaders Angelo Bonelli and Nicola Fratoianni called the approach a failure and ineffective.

Italy security decree: 500 troops for Milan, new protest offence

Key takeaways

What happened in Milan

What the decree contains