Ravers in Italy face six years in jail under Giorgia Meloni’s tough first law
Organisers of illegal raves in Italy could be jailed for six years as part of a tough new law, in Giorgia Meloni's first act in power as the country’s prime minister.
Ms Meloni moved to clamp down on unlicensed parties after a clandestine Halloween dance event in a disused warehouse close to the northern city of Modena attracted more than 1,000 people.
A decree, approved at the prime minister’s first cabinet meeting on Monday, allows authorities to punish party organisers with lengthy jail sentences and fines of up to €10,000 (£8,601.82).
The new offence would apply to unauthorised gatherings of at least 50 people that pose a risk to public health, safety or order, Matteo Piantedosi, Italy’s interior minister, told a news conference.
Ms Meloni reaffirmed her commitment to the crackdown on Wednesday. "This is a regulation that I support and that I am proud of," she said in a statement. "It is right to prosecute those who, often arriving from all over Europe, participate in illegal raves... without respecting safety regulations and, what is more, favouring drug dealing and drug use."
Ms Meloni’s hard-Right coalition came into office in October on a pledge to be tough on law and order.
But opposition parties warned that the decree’s broad wording could result in arbitrary crackdowns on peaceful student protests, labour rallies or other public demonstrations.
"It's a grave error,” said Enrico Letta, Democratic Party secretary and former prime minister. Raves have nothing to do with this - it calls into question public freedoms.
Giuseppe Conte, leader of the Five-Star Movement, called it a horrifying “police state” law.
Mr Piantedosi, a former police prefect in Bologna and Rome, defended the decree on Wednesday as an attempt to align Italy’s public safety legislation with other European countries.
“It is in everyone’s interest to counter illegal raves, but I find it offensive to suggest there is the will to intervene in other contexts where there are constitutional guarantees,” he told the Corriere della Sera.
Revellers arrived from across Italy and abroad to attend Witchtek, the party that prompted the crackdown.
The owner of the agricultural warehouse where the rave took place - a tall structure with cement pillars - feared the building would collapse due to the pounding music and large number of dancers inside.
He reported the event to the authorities, who shut it down, citing concerns over structural safety and noise complaints from locals, as well as an “invasion” of cars and vans in surrounding towns.
The partygoers dispersed peacefully on Monday, tidying up as they left, as police impounded the expensive 100-piece sound system that had been brought in.
