ITALY: Protesters against new far-right party fined
In June, residents of Florence’s Rifredi neighbourhood received administrative fines ranging from €1,000 to €10,000 for participating in a peaceful protest against the opening of a local office of Futuro Nazionale, a new far-right party formed in February 2026 by MEP Roberto Vannacci. The protest, organised as a community gathering with shared activities, is being penalised under the Security Decree (Decreto Sicurezza). Local groups have denounced the measures as a form of intimidation and criminalisation of dissent. The case raises concerns about restrictions on freedom of peaceful assembly and the potentially disproportionate use of administrative sanctions against civic mobilisation, as well as concerns about unequal treatment between far-right political actors and civic groups exercising their right to protest.