Over 100 police officers were injured in Turin, Italy, during protests against the closure of the left-wing cultural center Askatasuna. The center, which has served as a meeting place and event venue for activists for decades, was closed by the authorities, according to Italian media outlet ANSA.
Ten people were detained in the unrest on Saturday, with two of them facing arrest warrants. The number of injured protesters is not yet known.
The march through the city center drew about 15,000 participants. Many carried Palestinian flags. The action was initially peaceful, but later part of the column - about 1,500 people - broke away and clashed with police.
🇮🇹 Riots in Turin, Italy (Jan. 31) Far-left extremists and antifa erupted in violent riots, attacking police with stones and firebombs to protest the evacuation of the Askatasuna social center, illegally occupied by them. pic.twitter.com/e4UDldmQ01
— Vegas ⚔️ (@vegasyx) February 1, 2026
To disperse the crowd, law enforcement officers used tear gas and water cannons. One demonstrator suffered a head injury, and a 29-year-old police officer was beaten with a hammer; his condition is estimated to be serious.
Askatasuna is an autonomous social center, where concerts, lectures, cultural and political events are held. Such centers unite activists who advocate for equality and human rights, often among them are anarchists and anti-capitalists.
‼️🇮🇹 | #INTERNACIONAL Indignación en Italia tras viralizarse un vídeo de extremistas de Antifa propinando una paliza a un policía en Turín. pic.twitter.com/goX9gjnGAi
— EDATV (@edatvoficial) February 1, 2026
The Italian government condemned the unrest as an "attack on the state." Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the protesters' actions as an attempted murder. Left-wing activists, for their part, accuse the authorities of putting pressure on cultural centers and criticize the unequal treatment of right-wing movements that seize buildings with impunity.
As a reminder, a well-known Ukrainian banker, 54-year-old Oleksandr Adarych, died under unclear circumstances in an elite district of Milan.
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