A provincial security committee meeting at Milan's Prefecture on Wednesday brought together national and local officials to address the weekend violence that shook the city, with Mayor Giuseppe Sala and Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi outlining measures to prevent a repeat. The meeting, convened by Prefect Renato Sgaraglia, was attended by police chief Vittorio Pisani, Interior Undersecretary Nicola Molteni, and senior Army commanders, according to Corriere Milano.
Speaking after the summit, Sala said control and suppression of the disturbances must come first in this critical phase. He said he has no objection to the arrival of 500 military personnel, adding that paratroopers would take on a dynamic role because the city cannot allow similar scenes to recur every Saturday.
Why it matters
The weekend unrest has raised questions about public order in one of Italy's largest cities and prompted a high-level response spanning the Interior Ministry, police, Carabinieri and the military. The decisions taken at the Prefecture will shape security arrangements for the coming weekend and set a precedent for how Milan handles large-scale disorder. The meeting also drew Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini, who arrived unexpectedly at Palazzo Diotti, underscoring the political weight of the response.
Arrests and the profile of those detained
According to MilanoToday, the first 11 arrests were validated, and 35 of those detained are minors. Premier Giorgia Meloni said the youngest was 11 years old. Corriere Milano reported that the 11-year-old, who is Italian and lives in the Barona area, was identified by Carabinieri at school wearing stolen clothing.
Salvini said 343 people were stopped and 50 arrested, and rejected the idea that political grievances drove the disorder. He said those involved came to Milan to steal and cause damage without any ideology behind them, citing designer sneakers, iPhones and Rolex watches as their aims. He added that the postal police are working on chat messages said to have spread panic.
Piantedosi said there is no evidence that the young people behind the violence were directed from outside, revisiting the hypothesis of an organizing hand behind the weekend clashes. He noted a contrast between the spontaneity of the participants and the social-media coordination of the violence, while stressing that no external manipulation has been established. He described the findings of specialists and judicial authorities as something never seen anywhere in the world, according to Corriere Milano.
The interior minister also defended the police response, saying the assault on shops unfolded within minutes and that officers reacted. He pointed to the number of arrests as evidence that forces were present, and said he had no criticism to make of law enforcement. He added that there was no dispute with Sala and that shared objectives had been agreed to protect the city.
Concerns ahead of Saturday
Sala said there is worry about Saturday because authorities fear the presence in the squares of people similar to those seen over the weekend, along with groups who might confront them and anarchists. He called Saturday a delicate day for the city and the first test of whether the situation can be managed differently. He declined to tell residents to stay home, and warned against panic-driven shop closures, saying such a response would be excessive for a city with Milan's history of public life in its squares.
Il Post examined why the disturbances escaped police control, a question that hung over the Prefecture meeting as officials weighed how to deploy the incoming military contingent alongside existing police and Carabinieri units.
The committee's agenda covered both the weekend disorder and the measures needed to prevent a recurrence. Alongside national officials, the table included Prefect Sgaraglia, Sala, police commissioner Bruno Megale, provincial Carabinieri commander Rodolfo Santovito, chief prosecutor Marcello Viola, juvenile prosecutor Luca Villa, provincial Guardia di Finanza commander Andrea Fiducia, railway police official Luigi Mitola, fire brigade commander Mauro Caciolai and local police commander Gianluca Mirabelli, Corriere Milano reported.
What happens next: all eyes are on Saturday, when the city will test whether the reinforced security plan, including the 500 soldiers, can keep the squares calm.
