Italy to ban ‘illegal’ raves following Modena party

Rome: Fourteen organizers of an illegal Halloween rave in the northern city of Modena have been reportedly arrested and €150,000 ($149,000) worth of audio equipment had been confiscated.

Thirteen of those detained were Italian, authorities said, and one was Dutch. Police announced that they were clearing the last stragglers from the abandoned warehouse, where the “Witchtek” annual party had been going on since the weekend.

Far-right Prime Minister Georgia Meloni had announced on Monday that her government “will not turn a blind eye … to law-breaking,” and would move to tighten laws against unlicensed partying. This would bring Italy into step with its fellow EU members, she said.

Her Vice Premier Matteo Salvini declared on Twitter that “the fun is over,” and wished “everyone a happy Halloween (except those who gathered in Modena to mess around).”

Nearby residents had been complaining about the noise as the music went on without pause for two straight days. However, witnesses said that once the police arrived, the 4,000 or so partygoers left peacefully.

Under the proposed new law, public parties of more than 50 people would require authorization from the government.

Critics of Meloni’s government claim that the government was focusing on shutting down the rave in Modena while ignoring a march of thousands of fascists that also occurred this weekend.

At least 2,000 people gathered in Predappio, the hometown of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. The event marked the anniversary of Mussolini and his forces marching on Rome before taking power.

Sandra Zampa, a member of the center-left Democratic Party (PD) said that Meloni and her Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi had nothing to say about fascists “marching happily,” using the Hitler salute and shouting far-right slogans.

She said it was shameful that a group “nostalgic for the regime that wrote the most shameful pages of Italy’s history,” had been allowed to hold such an event.