No TAV unrest, Meloni in Val di Susa: 'Organized violence'. The No-TAV activists: 'We are all responsible'

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, accompanied by Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, arrived in Chiomonte, where she met with law enforcement personnel engaged in surveillance and security operations at the construction site of the Turin-Lyon high-speed railway line. According to Palazzo Chigi, shortly before their arrival, the Prime Minister and the minister carried out a helicopter flyover of the construction area. They subsequently visited the site in the presence of workers and representatives from Telt.

Welcoming Meloni and Piantedosi's visit to the Tav construction site in Chiomonte, in the Susa Valley, this morning was Telt's production director, Piergiuseppe Gilli, who oversees the work of the company's construction managers responsible for building the future Turin-Lyon freight and passenger railway line.

The Prime Minister and the Interior Minister had previously conducted an inspection in the Susa Valley, following Saturday's No Tav attacks on the construction sites of the future high-speed railway line. Meloni and Piantedosi arrived at Turin Caselle Airport, where they were met by the chief of police, Vittorio Pisani, along with the Turin police chief, Massimo Gambino, and the prefect of the Piedmontese capital, Donato Cafagna.

"One hundred and twenty law enforcement officers were injured in last Saturday's clashes against the Turin-Lyon high-speed rail infrastructure. A scene that is clearly visible behind me — this is not the scene of a war, it is the scene of an alleged protest. But this is not dissent, this is organised, premeditated violence and it must be treated as such," Meloni said in a video recorded during her visit to the Tav construction site in the Susa Valley. "We will do everything we can to bring these individuals to justice, and we also call on those responsible for doing so — the judiciary, all investigators — to make every effort, because a normal state cannot tolerate something like this."

"One hundred and twenty public security officers being injured deserves an institutional response — that is why this morning Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi and I are here to say that the State is present and does not intend to back down," Meloni continued, adding that the aim is "to bring not only solidarity but a physical presence to these security officers forced to guard this place 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, at an exorbitant cost to citizens, because of this so-called dissent. And also to show our presence to those who work here — the workers, the companies, the technicians, the engineers, the people who roll up their sleeves and see their work destroyed overnight."

"We are also here for them this morning," Meloni concluded, "and for them too we will do everything we can to bring those responsible for this disgrace to justice, together with all the institutions appointed to carry out that task."

Coinciding with the Prime Minister's visit, a sharp intervention came from PD Secretary Elly Schlein on the controversies following the violence: "We find ourselves facing a government whose members exploit violent events to hurl them at the opposition, even though they know we have nothing to do with those fringe elements of whom we ourselves are targets. Why do they exploit the situation to accuse us of complicity? Are we asking ourselves the right questions, instead of exploiting every event for political ends? Institutions and politicians should work together to isolate violence. In four years in government they have failed miserably on security," she said on L'Aria che tira, on La 7.

"We have seen unacceptable, serious violence, which can never be justified. We condemn violence without ifs, ands, or buts. Violence that has struck many officers, to whom the PD has expressed solidarity and closeness. We have always condemned every form of violence, without hesitation and without wavering," Schlein added.

Four antagonists of foreign nationality, probably belonging to the so-called Black Bloc, were detained in recent hours by investigators from the State Police of the Turin Police Headquarters, who are working to identify those responsible for Saturday afternoon's violence at the TAV construction sites in Val di Susa.

This was learned from informed sources. Their positions are under scrutiny by investigators and the charges are not yet known. The investigations into what occurred on Saturday, coordinated by the Turin Prosecutor's Office headed by Giovanni Bombardieri, currently hypothesize the crime of devastation, though it is not excluded that additional charges may subsequently be brought against individuals.

Since this morning, law enforcement has been carrying out enhanced checks on the roads of Val di Susa, in the Turin area, and in areas surrounding the campsite organized as part of the Festival dell'Alta Felicità, promoted by the No TAV movement and reaching its tenth edition this year. According to reports, approximately one thousand people are still present at the campsite. Investigators looking into the disturbances that broke out on Saturday during the assaults on the TAV construction sites do not rule out that among those present at the site there may also be antagonists belonging to the so-called Black Bloc who took part in the violence. Law enforcement checks cover the entire road network.

No-TAV: 'We are all responsible for what happened'

"The account given by most newspapers and television news programmes has been the usual one since the first G7, since Genoa or even earlier — that is, 'there are the valley residents who wanted to demonstrate peacefully, then the black blocs arrive.' This distinction is absolutely false: if you had seen the march setting off from here, you would know that thousands went up towards Chiomonte, so what happened there we all did — we are all responsible." This was stressed by Guido Fissore, a veteran activist in his eighties, during a press conference called by the No TAV movement in Venaus in the early afternoon.

"This is not the first time we've said this," he continued, "I remember after 2011. It doesn't mean that we all go around throwing stones at police officers, but I mean that situations can spiral out of control. Entering the construction site was something agreed upon by everyone, and it's important that they know this, it's better to tell it as it is. Because saying that 'we are well-behaved, we don't do these things, it's those who come from outside who commit these gestures,' which you call reckless, is not true. We are all responsible, if anything the problem is the response they give."

In any case, Fissore reiterated, "we will press forward and we do not accept this division between good and bad guys – either we are all good or we are all bad, it depends on one's moral compass and point of view, but that's how it is."

Also taking the floor were Franco Olivero Fugera, minority councillor in Giaglione, and Matilde from the Young No Tav group. "In this valley, the security forces are not here to protect people – as they would have us believe – but to defend the devastation," Olivero Fugera argued, concluding with a remark about this morning's visit by Meloni and Piantedosi to the Chiomonte construction site: "Of course we feel a little irritated by their presence here, but this means the adversary is weak. These days represent a great result for us given the large turnout at the Festival and the initiatives called by the No Tav Movement against the construction sites, so we will continue in this way."

"We were all in the march, men and women, and a large portion were young people and very young people," added Matilde. "This struggle is still young and we want to oppose this project that takes away our spaces and resources. There has been talk of violence, but the violence is what we have been subjected to for thirty years through the militarisation that is being repeated again today with the checkpoints this morning blocking people from leaving Venaus," referring to the checks on those exiting the Festival.

Over 800 people identified upon leaving the No Tav Alta Felicità Festival

Over 800 people have been identified by Police during checks underway since the early hours of this morning in Venaus, in the Val di Susa, at the conclusion of the Alta Felicità Festival organised by the No Tav movement. The activities, the Police Headquarters announces, are aimed at identifying all those who took part in the campsite set up for the event. On the previous day, a further 436 people had already been identified. The investigations into the attacks on the construction sites, coordinated by the Turin Public Prosecutor's Office led by Giovanni Bombardieri, are considering the charge of criminal damage.

Against individuals, additional charges could be added to the criminal damage charge in court proceedings. In recent hours, State Police investigators had detained four foreign far-left activists, likely belonging to the so-called Black Bloc, whose positions are still being scrutinised by investigators.

Telt: 'At Chiomonte, the worst attack on TAV construction sites since 2011'

"This is the worst attack we have suffered on our construction sites from 2011 to today, so it was a very, very bad day and we sustained significant damage." This was stated by Telt's Director General, Massimo Bufalini, at the end of the inspection of the TAV construction site in Chiomonte that was attacked last Saturday during the No Tav march.

"Beyond the physical damage, which in any case can be observed and is very significant, on the order of one million euros, what is more serious is that the environmental monitoring control units were destroyed, the control units used to operate the excavation machinery, and therefore we will first need to verify whether there has been any contamination, which for example occurred during last year's attacks, because incendiary materials were used."

Bufalini then continued: "Now we no longer have the monitoring instruments, so beyond the physical damage to the construction site that will need to be rebuilt and the materials that will need to be repurchased, there will also be the time required for restoration."

Tajani: 'Italy is the target of an international network that includes violent activists from across Europe'

"Congratulations to the State Police for the detention of four foreign agitators accused of taking part in the attacks in Val di Susa." This was stated by Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani. "The work being carried out by law enforcement is commendable, and I renew my solidarity with those injured in Saturday's attacks. Once again it emerges that Italy is the target of an international network that includes violent activists from across Europe. This is a serious and anomalous situation that defines the extent of the constant challenge the government faces in guaranteeing security and public order," he added.

Sala: 'The No TAV violence is a criminal act'

"I am sorry that the blame is being placed on my side of the political spectrum for being lenient towards certain violent demonstrations." This was explained by the Mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, commenting on the political controversy following the No TAV violence. "I don't think that any leniency has ever emerged from the words of, for example, my colleague, Mayor Lo Russo," he added on the sidelines of the commemoration of the victims of the Via Palestro massacre. "My personal opinion is that this is a criminal act, moreover carried out I believe by people who struggle to know what the TAV even is, what benefits it brings, what issues it may have. There is a desire for violence for its own sake." "I don't believe that we on the left are lenient, but we must be careful not to risk appearing so," he concluded. "That said, I greatly appreciated the words of my colleague Lo Russo."

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