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POLITICS

Italian ministers get police guard as tensions rise over crisis

Italy has placed a second government minister under police protection amid fears of physical violence as social tensions rise over the handling of the coronavirus outbreak.

Italian ministers get police guard as tensions rise over crisis
Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP

Police said that Italian education minister Lucia Azzolina has been given a police escort following threats against her

On Monday, deputy health minister Pierpaolo Sileri was given police protection after receiving threats in connection with coronavirus aid

And police were also asked on Wednesday to guard the governor of the Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, after he was called a “murderer” in graffiti in Milan and received threats on social media.

Lombardy in northern Italy was the region hit hardest by the pandemic, which has killed over 33,000 people, and Fontana has been heavily criticised in some quarters for failing to curb the spread of the virus in the region.

Italy is also struggling to restart following an economically-crippling nationwide lockdown which lasted two and a half months.

“There's a risk social tensions and exasperation could explode across the country,” Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said.

Both ministers under police protection belong to the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) which is part of Italy's ruling coalition, while Fontana is a member of the far-right populist League party, in opposition.

Fontana said he had not requested the escort and insisted it would in no way affect his work.

“Sadly we know that it's only a small step between verbal and physical violence… We will keep up our guard,” Environment Minister Sergio Costa said.

“It's very troubling that such a climate of hate and threats has been created around schools, healthcare and other sensitive and important issues,” he added.

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TERRORISM

Italy on maximum terror alert over Easter after Moscow attack

Italy was to increase surveillance in busy areas ahead of the Easter holidays and following the bombing of a Moscow concert hall, ministers agreed on Monday.

Italy on maximum terror alert over Easter after Moscow attack

Italy’s national committee for public security, chaired by Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, on Monday said anti-terrorism monitoring in Italy must be strengthened ahead of the Easter holidays, with more surveillance to be carried out at popular tourist spots and at “sensitive sites”.

The committee agreed on “the importance of continuing monitoring activity, including online, by police and intelligence forces for the identification of possible risk situations” in Italy, reported news agency Ansa.

The security meeting was convened following the terrorist attack in Moscow on Friday where armed men opened fire and set the building ablaze, killing at least 133 people.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani had stressed to the public on Sunday that Italy faced “no concrete risk” and said the country’s security and law enforcement services were “always on the alert to prevent any attack.”

“During the Easter holidays you will need to be very careful. We will always do the utmost to ensure the safety of citizens and tourists,” Tajani said, speaking on national broadcaster Rai’s current affairs show Restart.

READ ALSO: Terror alerts: Should I be worried about travelling to Italy?

The fight against terrorism “has nothing to do with the war in Ukraine,” the minister continued.

“We support Ukraine” as an invaded country in which international law has been violated, he said, “but as the Italian government we have expressed our condemnation of the attack [in Moscow] and closeness to the families of the victims and the survivors”.

Cabinet Secretary Alfredo Mantovano said on the same programme that the main terrorist threat Italy faced at the moment was mainly from “lone wolves” and “not so much from organised groups.”

“I believe that a group like the one that acted in the Moscow attack, which must have been trained and had logistical support, would be intercepted sooner in Italy,” he said.

“The most worrying threat” in Italy was online recruitment, he said, noting that propaganda was closely monitored.

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