MILAN – Leoncavallo, perhaps Italy’s most famous social center and a piece of Milan’s history, was evicted from its premises on Via Watteau in an August blitz that pre-empted the expected September 9th deadline. The center had occupied the site since September 1994. No one was inside when, around 8 a.m., 130 Carabinieri officers and an even larger number of police arrived to accompany the bailiff and the lawyer for ‘L’orologio’, a real estate company owned by the Cabassi family, which owns the area.
There had been indications of a potential acceleration. These included not only a Milan Court of Appeal ruling ordering the Interior Ministry to pay over 3 million euros to the Cabassi family for failed previous eviction attempts (this was the 133rd attempt), but also pressure on Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi from center-right parties, including a delegation from Fratelli d’Italia this summer. The issue of Leoncavallo, which turns 50 this year, is more than a public order matter; it holds significant political and symbolic value.
A law enforcement official described it as “the mother of all evictions,” carried out this morning to avoid the pre-emptive organization of protests. The raid also prevented an eviction that would have coincided with the national festival of the Green-Left Alliance, scheduled to be held at Leoncavallo from September 8-14.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi commented that after thirty years, “legality is finally restored today,” promising “zero tolerance towards illegal occupations” in the future. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni echoed this, stating, “In a rule-of-law state, there can be no free zones or areas exempt from legality… The Government will continue to ensure the law is respected, always and everywhere.” Deputy Prime Minister and League Secretary Matteo Salvini was among the first to comment, writing, “Decades of illegality tolerated, and often supported, by the left: now we finally change. The law is equal for all: afuera (get out)!” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani assured that this “is not a political operation, but one of justice. There is no difference between left-wing or right-wing occupations; both constitute a crime,” an indirect response to criticism from the opposition and the National Partisans Association (ANPI) regarding perceived tolerance towards the far-right group Casapound.
Milan’s Mayor Giuseppe Sala, informed of the eviction only this morning by the prefect, strongly disapproved. He is convinced that “Leoncavallo holds historical and social value in our city.” He added, “This social center must continue to produce culture, clearly within a framework of legality. For years and years, it has been a peaceful place of commitment,” confirming “the will to keep the dialogue open with those responsible for the center’s activities.” Negotiations are ongoing to grant Leoncavallo a space on Via San Dionigi, though obstacles remain, including the cost of asbestos removal and renovations, which the self-managed space would have to bear, and the fact that the public tender has not yet been published.
Members of the center described the eviction as “a tragedy” and “a blow to the heart.” Before a public assembly held in the rain, they decided on a mobilization in September with a likely national “mass” demonstration on the 6th. Marina Boer, president of the Leoncavallo Antifascist Mothers association, stated, “We hope this is not the end; we will continue to seek alternatives. Of course, it is much more difficult now.” She expressed bitterness towards a Milan “of speculation” with “no room for a different vision.” The sudden eviction “is a very ugly and painful way to conclude this phase and shows no willingness to dialogue.” Their intention is to continue negotiations with the City Council, though operating without a physical space makes everything more challenging.
Reactions on social media included strong criticism from MEP Ilaria Salis, who decried the “disrespect for 50 years of history,” and Pablo Iglesias, former leader of Spain’s Podemos party, who called Leoncavallo “a political school for us.”