The four activists, identified as organizers of protests outside the gates of logistics company Arcese in Alessandria province, are accused under a new article targeting organizers of unannounced demonstrations. They face fines between 1,000 and 10,000 euros and a three-year ban from returning to the municipality under an 'expulsion order' typically reserved for persons considered 'socially dangerous'. The security decree also bans flash mobs, with similar fines for organizers.
The grassroots union SI Cobas organized the first demonstration on February 27, 2026, three days after the decree was further tightened. According to Arbetaren, one of the accused, Martino Puppo, described the charges as an attack on the right to strike, targeting the strategic logistics sector. He said the union's actions aim to improve working conditions and combat precarious employment.
It is sensational that the first case that the new security decree targets is a union strike among workers.
It remains unclear what specific actions led to the charges, whether the accused have been formally charged or are under investigation, and how the government has responded to criticism of the decree's application.
This is an attack on the right to strike and they choose to target the country's strategic logistics sector.
That was exactly what we always intend to do with our strikes.
We have taken the union struggle for better working conditions and against short contracts and precarious employment conditions, which contribute to workers constantly being pushed into even worse conditions for fear of losing their jobs.
At the same time, we know that the logistics sector, especially in the area around Alessandria, is strategically important for Italy, and there are strong political and corporate interests that wish to dampen the protests.
Meloni's government argues for its new security laws by claiming that it means greater security for Italians, but they choose to attack precarious workers when the security decree is used for the first time.