It is not known who they are, whether there are leaders or at least territorial leaders. Perhaps – this is breaking news – one of the leaders of the October 17 Movement may have been identified. This is a thirty-year-old from Brescia, Youssef Siher, ISPI researcher and freelance journalist for various national newspapers, who according to investigators is the manager of the Instagram page which began speaking on behalf of the movement starting from 18 October. But what is really moving behind it and whether there is a real structure remains an unknown, just as it is not known whether there are relations with Italia in piazza, the first mysterious acronym that called for the first demonstrations, which the 17 October Movement seems to have attempted to capitalize on.
Just over a week ago, in the climate heated by the mobilizations in Europe and in Italy by the protests of unions, students and hauliers, a mysterious acronym emerged, Italy in the square. No relationship with historical acronyms of activism and collectives, no leader, not even a face or symbol. Even in the communication, there was nothing that made it recognizable or attributable to a specific political area.
Standard messages, online communications, calls to protest against the high cost of living, inflation, starvation wages, increasingly inaccessible cities. Generic claims, pre-political style. In the first communications, people were even invited to demonstrate with the Italian tricolour. To request authorization for principals - Digos later verified - university or middle school students without ties to the world of activism. All declared that they took the initiative after seeing the communications circulating online and in city, local or student chats.
A composite galaxy responded, from the anti-vax to some student collectives, former yellow vests, many unorganized citizens, up to small local groups of the far right, but those who took the stage were young and very young.
In Milan, the square, where many were kids from the suburbs, many of them second generation, the demonstration degenerated into vandalism and clashes. An explosion of anger that took everyone by surprise on Saturday, including collectives, committees, unions, parties, historical acronyms of the so-called antagonistic galaxy. And even more so on Sunday, when in the center of Milan the situation immediately degenerated into urban guerrilla warfare.
Hundreds of people, mostly minors, were stopped, held for an entire night at the police station and then released. Some children, including under 18s, were arrested. At least forty reports of violence and abuse have been received by the legal team Hub for defenders, promoted by a network of over 20 civil society associations including ARCI, A SUD, Un Ponte Per, Amnesty International Italia, Giuristi Democratici, Legal Team Italia. The government has called for harsh measures and new prisons for minors, President Mattarella, while condemning the violence, has warned against easy solutions and invited us to understand the anger of young people. The acronym Movimento 17 Ottobre appeared on social media, trying to unite the various demonstrations and perhaps capitalize on them.
For a week, there were interrogations, searches and identifications throughout Italy. The police suspect a preordained strategy, but there is still no certainty. It is not even known if there is real coordination between the various cities and of what kind. This is why there is tension at the dawn of the new mobilization called for today to which the Interior Ministry responded with an exceptional deployment of law enforcement and a campaign of searches throughout Italy. Also worrying are the initiatives of neo-fascist groups and curves, who would be ready to take to the streets against the new movement.
We certainly know that the strategy has changed. “The movement must become fluid”, reads the message circulated yesterday on telegram groups and social profiles branded Movimento 17 Ottobre. No pre-arranged appointments in the squares that have been locked down for the occasion - the army has also been sent to Milan, 1,500 drones are flying in Rome - but three summons that will arrive within an hour of the demonstration, finally a single collection point. Appointments that didn't arrive in chats and on social media.
Unlike last week, in the square there are both many student collectives and some historical acronyms of activism. In Turin, a month ago Askatasuna had called for a procession for today, in Rome there is a demonstration against the war, in Florence an unplanned demonstration crosses the streets of the centre, in Bologna the students have already started to move this morning, in Milan small groups have been reported moving independently.
