«Low-flying helicopter to disperse anti-militarists and fire started by tear gas»

The helicopter flies at low altitude, very low, a short distance from the heads of the protesters. Tear gas canisters are fired: one ends up in contact with the vegetation, which catches fire. And the flames are fed by the blades of the police aircraft.

This is the scenario described in a parliamentary question presented by Francesca Ghirra, a Cagliari MP for Avs, who asks for an intervention by the Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi and his colleague in Defense, Guido Crosetto, on what happened on June 14 during an anti-militarist demonstration in front of the Decimomannu base.

"About 300 meters from the base entrance, the protesters entered the fields in an attempt to get closer to the external perimeter of the air base, but at that point the police responded by launching about ten tear gas canisters," Ghirra explains.

The leftist reports a note from A Foras according to which "the helicopter was used as a truncheon". Only by chance there were no serious injuries, according to Ghirra.

If the reconstruction is confirmed, he accuses, "what happened would represent a dangerous precedent given that according to the current legislation, during demonstrations, the police must maintain order without the use of force and prioritizing de-escalation. In particular, a demonstration must be dispersed only as a last resort and in accordance with the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality. Priority must be given to voluntary dispersal and the use of force must be avoided".

Not only that: « The practice of dispersal through the use of low-flying helicopters in proximity to demonstrators», adds the parliamentarian, «is considered dangerous and its use is prohibited in Italy, except in cases of extreme necessity».