Lucrezia Ciotti Trieste Mayor Roberto Dipiazza 's shocking statement , " If they throw firecrackers in my city, I'll shoot them in the head ," sparked a political storm. The mayor stood firm and stood by his statements, while the Democratic Party, AVS, M5S, and Azione (Activity Action) parties demanded clarification and, in some cases, his resignation. At the center of the controversy were clashes between protesters and police following the deaths of two young men in the Old Port.
From the fire in the Old Port to the clashes: opposition to the mayor's attack
To reconstruct what happened, we must go back to the night of November 1st , when a fire broke out inside an old abandoned warehouse in the Old Port , used as a makeshift shelter by migrants in difficult sanitary conditions. The flames and smoke caused the deaths of two young people , a boy of Maghreb origin and a girl from Friuli.
The protest reached Piazza della Libertà on Friday, where about 200 people gathered, some from Veneto and Lombardy. The demonstration escalated when a group of participants attempted to enter the unused premises of the former market, aiming to convert them into a low-threshold shelter.
Moments of high tension ensued , with police interventions, charges, and beatings, while some protesters threw stones , fire extinguishers, and a firecracker . The latter hit the head of police deputy Leonardo Boido, exploding only after landing on the ground. The officer was taken to the hospital for treatment. The clashes resulted in five officers and two protesters suffering injuries.
Following the tightening of security in the square, controversy focused on Dipiazza's remarks. Debora Serracchiani (Democratic Party) called it " extremely serious that an institution calls for summary execution ," while Alessandro Zan reminded that " those who wear the tricolor sash cannot become vigilantes." Harsh criticism also came from Annalisa Corrado, who called it a "death threat ," and from Sandro Ruotolo: " We are not in a Western; we are in a democratic republic, founded on the constitution ." Five Star Movement vice president Stefano Patuanelli called the incident " unprecedentedly serious ," while Carlo Calenda and Peppe De Cristofaro called on the mayor to withdraw his statements or resign, denouncing the seriousness of the remarks and their " squadristic language ," respectively. Criticism also came from Riccardo Magi and Osvaldo Napoli. On the center-right, Laura Palutan of the Dipiazza List defended the mayor, calling it " double standards ."
Dipiazza doesn't back down after his shocking statement: "If they throw firecrackers in my city, I'll shoot them in the head."
Tensions erupted in Trieste following violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement officers, which have escalated into a national political issue. At the center of the controversy is Mayor Roberto Dipiazza , a Forza Italia representative, who has been targeted by the opposition for statements he made following last Friday's incidents in Piazza della Libertà. Commenting on the violence, as reported by the Corriere, the mayor reportedly uttered a phrase that was bound to provoke strong reactions: " The Constitution provides for the right to demonstrate, but demonstrations must be peaceful. If these people continue to use violence, then we will act accordingly: they cannot even think of occupying my house, and if they throw firecrackers in my city, then I will shoot them in the head ."
Dipiazza apparently did not subsequently retract these remarks, despite numerous requests for clarification and criticism from various political figures. When questioned again about the incident, the mayor reiterated his position, maintaining that what happened could have had even more serious consequences. Referring to Leonardo Boido, deputy police officer, who was injured during the clashes, he stated: " If Boido lost an eye, what would the left say today? " And again, speaking of the protesters: " Seeing 'these' people walking around my city with flashlights and firecrackers is shocking; we're exaggerating ." When asked about the possibility of rephrasing his statement, Dipiazza responded in the negative: " No, I'm speaking as someone who has never been charged or convicted: the right to demonstrate is in the Constitution, but if they continue to use violence, at a certain point we will act accordingly ."