After riots on Lake Garda, Italy fears more adversity in public places.
The June 2 incidents in the resort town of Peschiera, when some drunk young men attacked each other, jumped into cars and then sexually molested women on a train, have worried politicians for two weeks.
On Wednesday, Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese told parliament in Rome that she wanted to better monitor the situation, even as potential protesters reached Lake Garda. Critics, especially from right-wing parties, then accused her of downgrading a national problem to a local one.
Integration debate over youth gangs
In Italy, the debate on integration has intensified since the beginning of June. According to the results, a large proportion of the youth and young men who were noticed in Peschiera on the Italian national holiday have a migratory background.
Some troublemakers, often dubbed the “baby gangs” by police and the media in Italy, have already announced new meetings on social media. Among other things, the Adriatic city of Riccione, near Rimini, was chosen as a meeting point.
Salvini calls for tough action
Matteo Salvini of the right-wing Lega distributed a corresponding TikTok video on his Twitter channel. “Violence and threats are not tolerated here,” he wrote. Lamorgese did not address this in his remarks in the Chamber of Deputies. After consultations with regional authorities in northern Italy, the minister wants the trains to be equipped with video surveillance, among other things.
violent “flash mob”
On June 2, over 2,000 young people from various cities in northern Italy gathered for a flash mob in Peschiera on Lake Garda, which is popular with tourists. The situation worsened: there were fights with injured people and robberies, tourists were harassed, cars and shop windows were demolished. The police had to intervene and remove the backpack from the bathing areas.
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When many got back on the train and drove towards Milan, sexual assaults would have taken place on the train: According to their own statements, some underage women were harassed and sexually harassed by young people on their way home from the Gardaland amusement park on the train region completely overcrowded. The women managed to get off the train early and file a complaint. The Verona Public Ministry is investigating the possible suspects.