Italian authorities have evicted a group of anarchists from a former customs house in northwestern Italy. The activists had occupied the house to assist migrants trying to cross into France.
Italian police cleared the building in the Italian city of Claviere in the morning of Thursday, August 5. The former customs house in the region of Alta Val Susa had been occupied on July 31 by anarchists from the group 'Chez Je Oulx - Rifugio Autogestito'.
Police reportedly found about 40 people inside the house, including Italian, French, Belgian and German nationals, as well as bags with stones, chains, torches, golf balls and spray cans.
Officials claimed that activists damaged the building -- in particular its railings and skylights -- to prevent security forces from entering.
Seven migrants transferred to shelter
The house in Claviere reportedly hosted seven migrants at the time of the raid, they were taken to the shelter 'Rifugio Fraternità Massi' in nearby Oulx, which is run by a Catholic religious order.
An additional six people were identified at a makeshift camp near the Italian-French border that had been set up by the anarchists and was meant to host more militants in the coming days, according to police sources.
Nicola Molteni -- who is an undersecretary in the Italian interior ministry and a deputy in the far-right, anti-migrant League party -- praised the operation. "Good that the former customs house at Claviere, illegally occupied for five days by a group of anarchists who wanted to give assistance to migrants to irregularly cross the French border, was evicted," he said in a statement. He thanked police for "promptly intervening to guarantee the security of our borders."