On 14 March 2025, XR activists gathered and climbed onto the Leonardo Spa facility in Torino (Piemonte) to protest against the company's involvement in the arms industry and demand that profits from the sector be reallocated toward ecological transition. The demonstrators unfurled banners reading 'The war starts here' and 'Life not war' to denounce the defense industry's financial gains from ongoing conflicts. The protest coincided with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's visit to the city.

Supply-chain Risk Briefing - Protests at Leonardo Facility in Italy

Summary On March 14, 2025, XR environmental activists staged peaceful protests at the Leonardo Spa facility in Turin, Italy, demanding the defense contractor convert its weapons profits toward ecological transition. The protesters climbed onto the facility and installed banners reading "War starts here" and "Life, not war," coinciding with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's visit to Turin.

Supply-chain impact

• Aerospace & Defense Sector - Potential temporary constraints on access to Leonardo's Turin facility, Italy's largest defense contractor
• Advanced Manufacturing - Leonardo is a major European defense company producing helicopters, electronic systems, and satellites, with potential impact on related supply chains
• Regional Logistics - Turin in Piedmont region is a major industrial hub in northern Italy; concerns over spillover effects to regional manufacturing operations if protests spread
• Political Risk - Protests linked to Prime Minister's visit raise possibility of future government policy changes or regulatory tightening

Watch points

• Whether additional protests or activist movements targeting Leonardo and other Italian defense contractor facilities will spread
• Trends in Italian government announcements of defense industry policy changes or environmental regulatory strengthening measures