Protest and policing on October 15th, global day of action: the Italian case

Fifteenth October 2011, a global day of anti-austerity action called for by the Spanish indignados, saw hundreds of thousands of protestors converging on Rome for a national march. One of the largest, this Rome event was however one of the most problematic, as it was disrupted by violent protests and the lack of will or capacity by the police to protect peaceful demonstrators. In this article, based on interviews with social movement organisers and police officers as well as documentary analysis, we examine similarities and differences between the 2001 G8 Genoa counter-summit and the demonstration of October 15th in Rome by analysing the specific characteristics in the police use of coercive techniques on the street, negotiation (or lack thereof) and the gathering of information. We then try to explain those characteristics, addressing some aspects of the Italian police organisation, the protest itself and the political system.