Basic Banalities Concerning the January 31 Demonstration in Turin
Reflections on Conflict Following a Night of Street Fighting in Italy
https://crimethinc.com/Turin2026
On December 18, 2025, police evicted the historic Askatasuna social center in Turin, which had been squatted since 1996. A call circulated for a demonstration in response on January 31.
Newspapers report that 50,000 people took the streets. In the street where Askatasuna was located, clashes with the police continued for several hours—an intensity of confrontation that is extraordinary in Italy today.
Something is changing in Italy. The pro-Palestinian movement that erupted in support of the flotillas that sailed for Gaza in fall 2025 drew millions of participants into the streets, including a new generation that had not previously participated in direct action. The events in Turin last month show that this momentum has not abated. While authoritarianism is gaining power all around the world, we are also seeing a rising desire to revolt.
