Turin Police Chief Massimo Gambino described recent clashes during No Tav protests in the Val di Susa as an "escalation of war actions" [1].
The rhetoric signals a hardening of the state's stance against the long-running movement opposing the high-speed rail project. By framing the dissent as warfare rather than civil protest, authorities are justifying a more aggressive security posture in the Piedmont region [1, 2].
Gambino condemned the violence and said that the police response will be firm [1, 3]. He said that investigations are currently underway to identify and bring the perpetrators of the violence to justice [1, 3].
According to Gambino, the demonstrators are attempting to transform the region into a center for militant activity. "They want to make the Val di Susa the European laboratory of urban guerrilla warfare, we will not allow it," Gambino said [1].
The No Tav movement has spent years opposing the construction of the high-speed rail link, citing environmental concerns and the necessity of the project. While the movement has historically included peaceful activists, authorities now frame these specific actions as being beyond the legitimate expression of dissent [1, 2].
The Police Chief's comments follow a series of confrontations between security forces and protesters in the valley [2, 3]. Gambino said the state will maintain order to prevent the area from becoming a staging ground for urban combat tactics [1].
“"È stata una escalation di azioni di guerra"”
The characterization of protesters as engaging in 'war actions' and 'urban guerrilla warfare' shifts the legal and social framework of the No Tav conflict. By moving the narrative from political protest to national security, the Italian authorities are preparing the public and the judiciary for increased surveillance and more stringent prosecutions of activists in the Val di Susa.
