Hundreds camp in Rome heatwave as Meloni government cracks down on squats
Residents of the Spin Time social center in Rome are living in tents after the Meloni government evicted them, citing safety concerns following a minor fire. The standoff highlights a broader crackdown on squatted properties by the Italian administration.
Why it matters
The eviction reflects the tension between far-right government policies on property rights and the needs of vulnerable populations supported by local social initiatives.
Police are stationed inside Spin Time to prevent residents from re-entering. Pets belonging to residents remain trapped inside. Some people have managed to retrieve medication left in their homes; others have not. Photograph: Claudia Deganutti Police are stationed inside Spin Time to prevent residents from re-entering. Pets belonging to residents remain trapped inside. Some people have managed to retrieve medication left in their homes; others have not. Photograph: Claudia Deganutti Italy Hundreds camp in Rome heatwave as Meloni government cracks down on squats Spin Time provides homes, food banks and after-school clubs but the authorities have locked out residents
Prefer the Guardian on Google Hundreds of people have spent a week sleeping in tents in the Rome heat amid a standoff between Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government and local politicians over the future of Italy’s most high-profile centre for housing and social assistance.
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