by InTrieste
The newly elected Italian government came under fire after the potential new decree that would ban unauthorized rave parties by introducing stiff fines and lengthy jail terms.
Last weekend thousands of revelers from Italy and across Europe attended the Witchtrek 2K22 rave which had been due to last until Tuesday but was broken up by police on Monday morning.
The government is expected to introduce a new crime of “invasion for dangerous gatherings” of more than 50 people, with organizers of illegal raves facing up to six years in prison.
PM Meloni defended the measures, claiming that: “Up to now Italy has given the impression of being lax, with the new rules we will be the same as other European countries”.
Enrico Letta, leader of the center-left Partito Democratico (PD), said the new measures against unauthorized raves “sound like a limit to the freedom of citizens and a preventive threat against dissent”, while Giuseppe Conte, leader of the populist MoVimento 5 Stelle (M5S) likened the legislation to that of a “police state”.
