Val di Susa: Leaders condemn violence after No-TAV protest injures 60 officers

Political figures across Italy have strongly condemned the violent clashes that erupted during a No-TAV (anti-high-speed rail) protest in Italy's Val di Susa, which left around 60 police officers injured. The demonstrators attacked a construction site, leading to confrontations involving Molotov cocktails, stones, and the burning of police vehicles.

Regional President Alberto Cirio described the events as hundreds of violent individuals, some from abroad, openly challenging the state and civil coexistence. Turin Mayor Stefano Lo Russo called the aggressions, stone-throwing, firebombs, and vandalism "unacceptable," stating they compromise public safety and democratic dialogue. Minister of Public Administration Paolo Zangrillo characterized the Tav construction site as a "laboratory of illegality" for years.

The violence has amplified political tensions, especially concerning the potential electoral alliance between the center-left Democratic Party and the populist Five Star Movement (M5S). M5S, which has historically opposed the high-speed rail project, expressed solidarity with the injured officers but also distanced itself from the violence. Former Mayor Chiara Appendino and MP Antonino Iaria stated that those committing violence are criminals who distract from the project's "uselessness" and "out-of-control costs."

Right-wing politicians, including Forza Italia's Antonio Tajani and League leader Matteo Salvini, criticized what they termed the "complicit left" and called for a "heavy hand" against the perpetrators. For the Brothers of Italy party, Augusta Montaruli labeled the protest as "subversion," arguing that setting fire to police vehicles goes beyond mere protest.

The Tav project, linking Turin and Lyon, has been a source of significant controversy and protest for years. The recent violence in Val di Susa, occurring close to the 2027 municipal elections, has reignited the debate over the project's feasibility, costs, and the methods used to suppress dissent.

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Le gravissime violenze e i pesanti danneggiamenti avvenuti oggi durante la manifestazione No Tav in Valle di Susa meritano una condanna ferma e senza alcuna ambiguità. Aggressioni, lanci di pietre e bombe carta, incendi e atti vandalici contro cantieri e Forze dell’Ordine sono inaccettabili e compromettono la sicurezza delle persone e il confronto democratico.