Rise in Italians wanting easier gun access

(ANSA) - Rome, June 27 - Some 39% of Italians surveyed want gun ownership for reasons of self-defense to become easier, a sharp rise on the 26% seen in 2015. The CENSIS and Federsicurezza report on personal security found that those less educated were the most fervent supporters, with 51% of those having only a middle school education wanting fewer gun restrictions, and 41% of those over age 65. The survey found that the number of those knowing how to shoot is increasing with gun permits of all types - self-defense, hunting, etc. - totalling 1,398,920: a 20.5% rise since 2014 and a 13.8% one on the previous year. CENSIS estimated that there is thus "a firearm in the homes of almost 4.5 million Italians (including 700,000 children)". In commenting on the report, Italian interior minister Matteo Salvini said in a tweet that "a new law enabling the legitimate defense of law-abiding people in their own homes is one of our priorities".