A group of protesters carrying Palestinian flags and wearing black ran up to the gate at Caserma Del Din in Vicenza, Italy, Sept. 8, 2024, as seen in this screenshot from YouTube, and began cutting the wire of the fence. The garrison public works department repaired the fence the same afternoon. (YouTube/Global Project)

VICENZA, Italy — Italian police are investigating a group of protesters who cut down part of the perimeter fence at the home of the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Italy over the weekend.

“We rely on local Italian authorities for security off post and we anticipate their investigation to find those responsible for this criminal act,” Rick Scavetta, spokesman for U.S. Army Garrison Italy, said Wednesday.

Protesters carrying Palestinian flags and wearing all black, with black masks and colorful bucket hats, ran up to the gate Sunday at Caserma Del Din in Vicenza and began cutting the top wire, according to a YouTube video of the protest.

The protest lasted a few minutes before Carabinieri intervened. The garrison public works department repaired the fence Sunday afternoon.

There were no reports of arrests over the incident as of Wednesday.

There was another protest against the Israel-Hamas war on Saturday near the train station in Vicenza, and anti-war protesters rallied outside Caserma Ederle earlier this year. At the end of June, military bases around Europe were put on a heightened state of alert due to terrorist threats.

In September, two Marines were assaulted by protesters in Izmir, Turkey during a port visit by the USS Wasp.

Scavetta said the protest on Sunday seemed to be more about publicity than endangering service members.

“At no time were the personnel inside the post in danger during the brief incident,” he said.