Italy to Criminalize Unlicensed Raves

Facts

• Just hours after stopping a weekend Halloween party of more than 1K people in the northern Italian city of Modena on Monday, the new Italian government of right-wing PM Giorgia Meloni has announced that it will criminalize staging unauthorized raves under the offense of "invasion of dangerous gatherings."
• Under the new law, a permit would be required for public gatherings with more than 50 people. Meloni said she would "not turn a blind eye" to violations of the law, which she said was in line with that of other EU members.
• The plans, announced by Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi this week, could see those charged under the proposed law face up to six years in prison and organizers fined between 1K and 10K euros ($996-$9,950 USD).
• Meloni, whose government came to office in October on a pledge to be tough on law and order, cited a larger rave last year in the town of Viterbo where two deaths occurred and natural areas were damaged.
• Meanwhile, the opposition complained that the government was focusing on illegal parties, while more than 2K supporters of former fascist dictator Benito Mussolini were allowed to gather in Mussolini's birthplace that same weekend.

Sources: BBC News, DW, Times of Malta, Today Online, and Guardian.

Narratives

• Left narrative, as provided by The Guardian. This move is a freedom-killing monstrosity and has flavors of Putin-style authoritarianism. The newly-proposed law may be a violation of freedom of expression, being ambiguously broad in its language. There are worries that gatherings or protests of any kind could now be trampled just like this rave ruling.
• Right narrative, as provided by New York Post. Remember, this only applies to unlicensed raves with at least 50 partygoers. The left is shocked that a center-right government would implement center-right policies. Italy's government has only begun to honor its pact with its electorate to implement reasonable law and order legislation.