Debate in Turin City Council on the 24 October 2026 demonstration
Date of the event:
On 26 October 2026 Turin City Council, meeting in the Sala Rossa (the council chamber) at Turin City Hall (Palazzo Civico), discusses the incidents of violence that occurred during the 24 October demonstration against the cost of living and rearmament. During the session mayor Stefano Lo Russo speaks with official communications, opening a debate between the majority and the opposition on the handling of public order and the political responsibilities linked to the march [1][2].
The violence of 24 October
During the 24 October demonstration in Turin, clashes broke out involving police, some of the people present and shopkeepers, whose businesses suffered damage [2].
The mayor's condemnation
In the City Council Lo Russo condemns the violent episodes "with the utmost firmness", expressing solidarity with police, the people involved and the shopkeepers affected. The mayor argues that institutions must also address the social and economic causes driving thousands of young people, students and workers to take to the streets [1][2].
In his address Lo Russo cites economic figures: in the first quarter of 2026 Italian real wages are said to be 6.1% lower than in the same period of 2021, while in 2025 Italian GDP is said to have grown by 0.6% against an average of 1.4% in the European Union. The mayor also points to a tax burden of 42.9% of GDP and an Italian employment rate of 62.8% in the first quarter of 2026, against an OECD average of 72.1%. For Lo Russo, after four years of government led by Giorgia Meloni, results remain insufficient on economic growth, wages and opportunities for younger generations [1][2].
A "Marshall Plan" for young people
The mayor proposes a large national plan for younger generations, which he describes as a kind of "Marshall Plan" for young people. The proposal includes an urban regeneration programme, investment in outlying neighbourhoods, renovation of public housing stock and new student residences, together with employment policies and measures for the right to education [1].
Lo Russo cites 2,900 empty and inaccessible public housing units in Turin, while thousands of families remain on waiting lists for a home, and points to a shortage of family doctors: 685 missing in Piedmont as of July 2026, including 76 in Turin. The mayor also mentions five Atc (public housing agency) projects worth €69 million excluded from Pnrr (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) funding. He claims credit for the investments made in Turin for urban regeneration thanks to Pnrr funds and calls for urgent talks with prime minister Giorgia Meloni, together with mayors of other large metropolitan cities, ahead of the budget law [2].
The debate in the Sala Rossa
The mayor's address opens a political debate in the chamber. Sara Diena, leader of the Greens and Left Alliance group, accuses the government of putting security before rights. Councillor Emanuele Busconi says he was present at the march and witnessed "an unacceptable abuse of public force" [2].
Related articles: Stefano Lo Russo
Sources
- Torino, Lo Russo condanna le violenze del 24 ottobre: Serve un Piano nazionale per i giovani — Quotidiano Piemontese, 26 October 2026
- Scontri a Torino, Lo Russo sfida Meloni: «Piano Marshall per i giovani»; Avs: "Anche noi in piazza. Un abuso della forza pubblica" — CronacaQui Torino, 26 October 2026