24 October 2026 march in Turin against rearmament
Date of the event:
On 24 October 2026 a march organised by the Movimento 17 Ottobre crosses the centre of Turin to protest against rearmament, data centres and the rising cost of petrol. The demonstration is not notified in advance to the Questura (police headquarters), a circumstance that leads law enforcement to step up checks in the streets of the centre and numerous shops to remain closed or protect their windows with wooden panels [1][2][3].
Security measures
The day before, the Provincial Committee for Public Order and Security meets, with the participation of the prefect, the mayor, the public prosecutor, the Questore (chief of police), the commanders of the Carabinieri and the Guardia di Finanza, and representatives of trade associations, to define the measures to adopt in the event of clashes during and after the march, also drawing on the tools provided by the new security decree [1]. The police gather information on how the protest is organised from social networks, the only channel through which the organisers circulate logistical details [1].
The organisers' strategy
The Movimento 17 Ottobre cancels, on the eve of the march, all the previously announced assembly points and announces that the meeting points will only be made known in the afternoon, with repeated calls on social media to change the gathering locations so as not to give law enforcement any reference points [1]. A handbook titled «Rivoluzione, istruzioni per l'uso» («Revolution, instructions for use») circulates via Telegram channels, with guidance on organising marches, preparing participants and tactics to adopt in case of contact with the police, including the use of micro-cameras and microphones to record officers and the use of closed social media groups with chat deletion [1].
The programme
The main gathering point is set in piazza Castello at 3pm, while an hour earlier two separate assembly points are planned: high-school students in piazza Arbarello and university students at Palazzo Nuovo, in via Sant'Ottavio [1]. The possible presence of right-wing groups, also organised via social media and ready for a counter-demonstration, is also reported [1].
The shopkeepers' reaction
Ahead of the march, several shops along Turin's shopping streets install wooden panels in front of their windows [2]. A store belonging to a multinational computer-equipment company suspends business and directs customers to a service centre open in a hypermarket in Grugliasco or to a toll-free number [2]. Cristina Fogazzi, known as Estetista Cinica and founder of the brands Veralab and Overskin, announces on social media the early closure, at 3pm, of her shop in piazza CLN, together with the outlets in Milan and Bologna, citing fears over the route of the unannounced march and the risk of clashes and damage, as had happened the previous week in Milan [3].
Sources
- Quotidiano Piemontese — 24 October 2026
- ANSA Piemonte — 24 October 2026
- TorinoToday — 24 October 2026