A three-day Halloween party in Modena was the catalyst for fast-track legislation that would punish organizers or supporters of gatherings that endanger public order or security with three to six years in prison and fines ranging from €1,000 to €10,000 . Penalties for those who engage in what the ordinance describes as “trespassing” have not been described, but will be less severe. The law applies to gatherings of 50 or more people that “arbitrarily invade the land or buildings of others”, raising fears that it would give authorities the power to crack down on potentially peaceful demonstrations. Getting tough on raves has been a campaign policy of Meloni’s Brothers of Italy, a party with neo-fascist roots, and its far-right coalition partner, the League, led by Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini. Fourteen youths, including a Dutch national, are under investigation after Interior Minister Matteo Piandentozzi ordered the eviction on Sunday of more than 3,000 revelers at an illegal rave taking place in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the Emilia-Romagna city of Modena. The event was organized through social media, attracting participants from abroad. During her first press conference as prime minister on Monday, Meloni referred to a six-day rampage in the Viterbo area of Lazio last summer in which one person died. “With rave rules we are no different from any other European nation,” he said. “When there was the famous Viterbo rave, it struck me that thousands of people who arrived in Italy to cause havoc had come from all over Europe, because the impression of Italy in recent years was one of laxity in terms of respecting the rules. Now Italy is no longer the nation in which one can commit a crime. there are rules and they are enforced.” But the hardline measure has been criticized by opposition politicians, unions and Amnesty International Italy. Enrico Letta, the leader of the centre-left Democratic party, said it was “a serious mistake” that put citizens’ freedom at risk, while Giuseppe Conte, who leads the Five Star Movement, described it as “horrifying” and similar . in a “police state”. Riccardo Magi, president of the small left-wing party More Europe, described the law as a “Putin scent”. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Alessandro Jean, a politician from the Democratic Party, said the measure was an attack on Article 17 of the Italian constitution, which gives citizens “the right to assemble peacefully and without arms”. “The Meloni government has proven that if 51 people get together they risk six years in prison,” Jean said. “Their first act is a freedom-killing monstrosity … the riots are just the excuse – the aim is to suppress demonstrations in schools, universities and squares.” Vinicio Nardo, president of the Milan Bar Association, also said the law jeopardized Article 17, while Amnesty International Italy said: “It risks having a discretionary and arbitrary application to the detriment of the right to peaceful protest.”
