On the controversy over the clashes in the pro-Palestine demonstrations in recent days, the Chief of Police, Vittorio Pisani, spoke in an interview with Tg1 in the 8pm edition of Saturday 24 February. “Unfortunately yesterday in Florence and Pisa our operators implemented initiatives that will have to be analyzed individually and verified with severity and transparency”, he said in reference to yesterday’s pro-Gaza demonstrations. “When demonstrations are not notified in advance or the methods and routes are not shared with the Police Headquarters – underlined the Chief of Police – critical moments may occur, but these critical moments cannot be a justification for these cases”.
“It must be specified and clarified that the initiatives and decisions that are adopted at local level during public order services are not determined either by political choices or by political directives – clarified Pisani – The State Police is the police of a State democratic and we have the duty to guarantee first of all the manifestation of dissent but this demonstration must take place peacefully, isolating the violent, and also respecting the instructions of the authorities”.
“Undoubtedly the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has had an impact on the management of public order in terms of intensity for the use of police force personnel”, said the Chief of Police Vittorio Pisani on Tg1. “It should be noted that in many European countries not all demonstrations are authorised, in Italy no demonstration has ever been banned, even the most radical and extreme ones. The ideological or political motivations of the demonstrators are always addressed by the state police with the utmost neutrality – he added – Because the ultimate objective of managing public order is in any case to achieve the unanimous consensus of the community and all political forces”.
