Turin, Italy – On March 6, 2026, five Extinction Rebellion activists were charged after being stopped by police, searched, held for several hours, and accused of placing paper sheets with the names of partisan women on street signs across the city.

The action, three days before International Women’s Day, used water and flour to attach the sheets. The movement described it as a gesture to honor women partisans and highlight their role in defending democracy.

The activists were stopped around 11 p.m. for identification. They were held outside while officers returned their documents, searched, and then released roughly three hours later. Police filed charges for “defacing,” despite no permanent damage, and one activist faced an additional charge for “illegal possession of weapons” after a Swiss Army camping knife was found in her backpack.

Extinction Rebellion said officers repeatedly requested personal phone numbers, which the activists refused, even though this is not part of legal identification procedures under Italian law.

The protest aimed to use public space to tell the story of women who fought for freedom and democracy, countering street names linked to historical figures associated with repression and colonial campaigns.

The initiative comes a week after new government decrees restricting dissent were approved. Social movements continue demonstrations across Italy, with similar police actions reported in Naples, Bologna, Sanremo, and now Turin.

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