Violence Erupts on Corso Brunelleschi's Corridor: Prisoners Start a Fire, Causing Injuries
Flare-Up at Turin's Repatriation Center on Corso Brunelleschi
Here's a twist in Turin's tale, as chaos erupted late last night at the Sanitalia-managed Centro di Permanenza per il Rimpatrio. This facility, recently reopened after a two-year renovation, had been the centre of controversy even before it swung open its doors.
An Inferno Amidst 57 Detainees
The evening turned fiery around 10 PM, with a blaze sparking inside the center. Insiders suspect the detainees themselves lit the fire. This flare-up marked the first such incident since the revamped CPR reopened its gates.
Dominoes of Disarray
Until now, the center had seen no registered tensions. Yet, in the span of a single night, the tranquility crumbled. Mattresses were ablaze. Reports point to more than one injured individual. As the local social center reps rallied people outside the CPR's walls, they described a towering column of smoke billowing from one of the facility's zones. Inside, three ambulances rushed to attend to the wounded.
Barred from Entry
A regional councilor, the president of the 3rd circumscription, the vice-president of the Turin City Council, and a councilor were met with a bizarre sight. Despite having the legal right to access the center, they were left questioning the crossing-guards and the CPR director for hours. They were utterly ignored, with no updates on the well-being of the center's residents.
Inalienable Rights Denied
In a joint statement, they expressed alarm: "We were shocked - joined by countless citizens who formed a peaceful gathering - at the sight of several ambulances and firefighters. Afterward, a bizarre spectacle unfolded, unbecoming of a democratic nation: a regional councilor, the president of the circumscription, the vice-president of the city council, and a councilor were left outside the center for two hours, disregarded by the CPR director and security officials. They never received any information about the health of the people within the CPR. They even encountered an anti-riot barricade obstructing the entrance". The officials added, "The only certainty we uncovered is a severely injured boy escorted back to the CPR by a patrol car. It is unconscionable for this place to be exempt from any rules and for human rights and institutional prerogatives to hold no value here."
Time for Change
The officials concluded firmly, "This CPR management cannot stand in the face of tonight's grave events. We will initiate every measure to shut down this center and all similar ones."
Although anarchist-organized demonstrations and vigils occurred in the days leading up to the incident[2][4], comprehensive reports about the specific events or government responses are scant. The CPR system is often criticized by anarchist and abolitionist groups as a repressive state tool[1], contributing to broader calls to abolish detention centers.
- The chaotic scene at Turin's repatriation center, Centro di Permanenza per il Rimpatrio, on Corso Brunelleschi, took a turn for the worse as a fire erupted among the 57 detainees, marking the first significant incident since its post-renovation reopening.
- In the aftermath of the fire, politics took center stage as regional councilors and city council members found themselves barred from entering the facility to check on the well-being of the detainees, creating a tense situation that raised concerns about the denial of inalienable rights.
- Amidst the smoke and the chaos, the officials called for change, vowing to initiate every measure necessary to shut down the center and all similar ones, citing the grave events of the night as proof that the current management cannot be sustained.
- The incident in Turin serves as a rallying cry for anarchist and abolitionist groups who have long criticized the CPR system as a repressive state tool within the broader context of crime-and-justice and general-news discussions.
