Military in the square, paratroopers in Milan. Here are the numbers of soldiers in the cities and what they can do

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on Tuesday that Italy will deploy an additional 500 soldiers to Milan through the end of the year. This reinforcement follows severe disturbances and looting incidents that occurred over the weekend in the northern city’s center. The troops, identified as paratroopers from the Folgore brigade, will operate under the existing Safe Streets operation alongside police forces. They are scheduled to arrive starting Saturday, bringing the total military presence in the Lombardy region to approximately 1,450 personnel for the remainder of the calendar year. The decision was formalized during a Council of Ministers meeting, where the government approved a decree-law introducing stricter security measures. Meloni described the scenes following the clashes as unacceptable. She stated that the new contingent would work jointly with law enforcement to maintain public order and control territory until December 31. The measure takes effect immediately and has a sixty-day window for parliamentary ratification. According to official data cited in the announcement, the recent unrest resulted in injuries to nearly 200 officers. Material damage in Milan alone approached one million euros. Security forces detained or identified 330 individuals during the incidents, with half of them being of foreign origin. The deployment aims to address specific and exceptional needs for crime prevention and enhanced territorial control, particularly in densely populated metropolitan areas. The Safe Streets initiative, originally established in 2008 as a temporary measure, has become a structural component of Italian internal security policy. Over eighteen years, the program has received funding totaling 2.24 billion euros. Currently, 6,800 military personnel are deployed across 58 provinces in eleven groupings. The majority serve in the Army, numbering 6,630, while the rest belong to the Navy and Air Force. These troops engage in shifts, patrols, checks, and guarding sensitive sites. The largest grouping covers Lazio, Umbria, Abruzzo, and Marche, involving 1,680 soldiers, with more than ninety percent stationed in Rome and its province. The Lombardy-Trentino-Alto Adige grouping currently includes 950 soldiers, which will increase with the arrival of the 500 dedicated to Milan. Other deployments include 960 soldiers in Campania, 620 in the Veneto-Friuli-Venezia Giulia grouping, and 600 operating in Sicily. Legal authority for this deployment stems from Article 7-bis of Decree-Law 92/2008, converted into Law 125/2008. This provision allows the armed forces to assist in territorial control for specific preventive needs. Military personnel act as public safety agents, enabling them to identify individuals and conduct immediate searches of persons and vehicles to prevent threats to personal safety or site security. However, they lack general judicial police powers. To complete investigations or perform judicial acts, they must escort individuals to the nearest Police State or Carabinieri offices. The plan can be authorized for six months, renewable once, for a contingent not exceeding 3,000 units. The accompanying decree introduces several legal changes aimed at curbing violence. It creates a new offense for violent participation in demonstrations, carrying penalties of up to five years in prison and fines reaching 20,000 euros. Meloni specified that joining a group of five or more people to throw stones, firecrackers, or sticks during a march constitutes this offense. Additionally, the decree establishes the principle that those who break property pay for damages, extending liability to parents if the perpetrator is a minor. For minors aged fourteen to eighteen, the decree stipulates a presumption of imputability with immediate effect. It also permits chief police officers to issue oral warnings and impose bans on gathering in public places for young people with prior records of violent acts. Preventive detention measures have been extended to minors, allowing authorities to retain suspects before protests if there is suspicion of potential violent behavior. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto confirmed that the Safe Streets force has the faculty to act, though Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi and police leadership expressed caution regarding the scope of these powers. Matteo Salvini, the vice president and leader of the League party, initially announced the soldier deployment on Monday afternoon. He framed the move as part of a broader package of security measures. The government held meetings with ministers and security officials to finalize decisions, including the extension of preventive arrest provisions. The operational focus in Milan will involve patrols and surveillance using drones, integrating military capabilities with civilian policing efforts to restore stability in the affected urban centers.