The young people are accused of insulting the Italian Republic, the Italian constitutional institutions and the Italian armed forces. Matteo Salvini urged zero tolerance for those who hate Italian values.

Proceedings have been launched against young immigrants of North African origin who filmed anti-Italian videos on New Year's Eve in Milan's Duomo square for insulting the institutions and authorities of the Italian Republic, the anti-terrorist prosecutor's office in Milan announced on Friday evening.

Fourteen young men between the ages of 16 and 20 have been identified based on videos shared on social media in recent days.

Children of parents from Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt. Among them is an Italian citizen whose Italian mother lives with a Tunisian man. They all live in Milan and the surrounding towns of Parma, Brescia, Como, Pavia and Biella. Most of them have criminal records for minor crimes, such as theft.

The investigation against the young immigrants was launched by anti-terrorist Milan prosecutor Marcello Viola in cooperation with prefect Claudio Sgaraglia. The young people are accused of insulting the Italian Republic, the Italian constitutional institutions and the Italian armed forces.

On New Year's Eve, the members of the group stayed in Milan's Duomo square, where the municipality did not organize an official celebration, but more than twenty-five thousand Italians and foreigners gathered.

Migrant youth first climbed II. on the equestrian statue of former Italian king Viktor Emanuel, and the flags of North African countries were flown there. The police removed them from the work. Afterwards, the young people used their phones to make videos in which they insulted Italy and the Italian police.

The three of them were removed by the police from the center of Milan that same night, as they were not allowed to stay in the center as they had a criminal record in accordance with the security decree valid in the northern Italian city until the end of March.

They also identified the 33-year-old man from Guinea who also conducted interviews in Italian and Arabic with young North Africans on New Year's Eve in the square in front of Milan's cathedral.

He asked them whether Muslims should celebrate on December 31, to which he was told no. One of the young people noted: according to the Muslim calendar, they do not write 2025, but 1449. It was said that there were more Muslims than Christians at the Milan Cathedral on New Year's Eve. They quoted from the Koran and shouted "Allah akbar" several times.

The Anti-Terrorism Investigation Directorate (Digos) is working to identify the migrants who placed a Palestinian flag on Dome Square and then chanted anti-Israel slogans. Another group, in the San Siro district of Milan, shot fireworks at firefighters who were trying to control the flames caused by firecrackers.

"If you don't feel good in Italy, if you don't like Italians, if you're not satisfied, go back to where you came from. You are not needed.

Italy is a generous, welcoming, solidarity country, but if an Italian were to go to your countries, an Arab, Muslim country, and insult Allah, create chaos, violate the laws, or insult those who live there and host him, then that Italian they would not send him home, but put him in prison," Matteo Salvini, leader of the League ruling party, commented on what happened on his social media site on Friday evening.

He urged zero tolerance for those who "hate our values".

MTI

Cover image: Migrant youths rose up II. on the equestrian statue of former Italian king Viktor Emanuel, and the flags of North African countries were flown there
Source: X/Matteo Salvini