Rome.- At least 60 Italian police officers and an undetermined number of protesters were injured this Saturday in clashes during a demonstration against the construction of the high-speed railway line between Turin and Lyon that took place in the Susa Valley, in the Piedmont region, northwest Italy, Italian media reported.
The Italian police union COISP reported that at least 60 officers were injured, while no specific figures for injuries among the protesters have been reported, although some media outlets indicate that there could be around fifty.
At the same time, during the protest by the so-called ‘No TAV’ group, who have opposed the construction of the railway line for years, a group broke away from the demonstration and began throwing firecrackers and stones at the officers, who responded with tear gas and water cannons.
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Giorgia Meloni spoke out
According to the ‘No TAV’ movement, around 20,000 people participated in the demonstration.
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Likewise, during the disturbances, two Carabineros vans and two Guardia di Finanza (Italian financial police) vehicles were set on fire, and access to the A32 Turin-Bardonecchia motorway was closed between the Oulx and Susa Est junctions.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, for her part, also condemned the riots, which she described as “an attack on the State.”
“Those who throw firecrackers, set fire to state vehicles, and attack law enforcement officers are not defending an ideal,” he added.
