Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
MILAN – Viral footage of the looting and unrest that shook central Milan last weekend has led to the first decisive investigative breakthroughs.
The Carabinieri have identified two minors believed to be among the ringleaders of the vandalism: the first is a boy of just 11, tracked down by officers at his middle school in the Barona district (south-west Milan). The child was filmed on Instagram leaving the Fusaro shop with several belts stolen during the raids.
The second is a 16-year-old traced to Desio in Brianza, caught on camera last Saturday wearing a Carabinieri cap; he faces serious charges including devastation, looting, theft and contempt of the armed forces.
Security committee with Piantedosi and Sala: 500 troops on the way
In response to the gravity of the incidents, the provincial committee for public order and security met today in the Lombard capital, attended by interior minister Matteo Piantedosi and mayor Giuseppe Sala.
To step up territorial control, the interior ministry has ordered the operational deployment of 500 troops, who “will have maximum mobility across the area, as already happens in other major cities such as Rome”. This high-impact action and patrol strategy was approved with full agreement between the government and the municipal executive.
Piantedosi: “No external direction, a spontaneous phenomenon to prevent”
Analysing the origins of the violence and the methods used by the hooded youths, minister Piantedosi ruled out the possibility of top-down orchestration:
“This is a new and complex phenomenon that must be tackled in new ways – Matteo Piantedosi said –. There is no evidence that these young people are being manipulated or controlled from outside. The spontaneity of these boys contrasts with the organisation via social media, but at present there is no proof of masterminds.”
The minister noted that emulation may have been influenced by the recent unrest and devastation in France, and defended the response of the security forces: “I have nothing to reproach the police for. We faced an unprecedented phenomenon, but the state was present and the number of detentions and arrests made proves that clearly. With next weekend in mind, prevention is already fully under way.”
