Italy faces bomb threats at thousands of schools, Meloni vows not to yield

Anonymous emails warning of bombs reached about 6,000 schools across Italy on November 11, forcing the evacuation of students in numerous institutes. Police and security forces carried out checks at the affected schools. The threats caused fear and disruption for many families.

In Rome, many schools were evacuated, including schools and nurseries in the Appio-Tuscolano district and nearby areas. Outside the capital, schools in Milan, Trieste, Bologna, Naples, Reggio Calabria, and Sardinia also received bomb threats.

“We will not allow an anonymous email to decide the school calendar of our children.”

The threatening email was signed "Mikhail Andropov" and stated that bombs were present in some schools. It also contained the phrase "We came to destroy you."

After chairing a meeting at Palazzo Chigi with competent ministers, intelligence chiefs, and cybersecurity officials, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni addressed citizens in a video posted on social media. She said no concrete danger had been found and that investigators and the judiciary were working with their European colleagues to identify those responsible.

Meloni warned that more threat messages could arrive in the coming days, adding that a possible repetition of the incidents would not necessarily mean a failure of security measures. She said the government would not allow an anonymous email to decide the school calendar for children.

Five Star Movement lawmaker Luca Pirondini called the situation a serious alarm and urged Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi to appear before parliament. Investigations into the threats remain ongoing.