“I decide about my body.” And again: “Shame, shame.” While she was preparing to speak at the States General on birth rates at the Conciliazione auditorium in Rome, the Minister for the Family, Eugenia Roccella, was challenged by a group of students. Signs displayed, shouts, whistles, “pro-life people out of clinics”.
Roccella, from the Book Fair to the protests in Puglia. All the complaints against the FdI minister
“No one said that someone else decides on women’s bodies, that’s why we are here because today women do not decide freely whether they can have children”, the government representative tried to reply. Moments of confusion: «I don’t know if I can intervene, I’ll try. I cannot?”. The protest continued and the minister then left without intervening, amidst the anti-protester chants. Their thesis: this executive «denies the right to abortion, threatens the existence of counseling centers and places of prevention» through the introduction of «measures aimed at closing them» and with the hiring of «staff coming from anti-abortionists who do not reflect our needs.”
THE REACTIONS
Gigi De Palo, president of the Birth Foundation, underlined: «This is an event organized by a foundation, it is not called by the government, we are sorry because there are many school children here with us, but we will certainly not be the ones to chase you away» . To then stigmatize the incident: “A bad signal, let’s distance ourselves.” The irritation of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had already arrived even against those who organized the conference, “I’m very sorry”, said the Prime Minister, “solidarity with the minister”. A very strong message came from the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella who telephoned the Minister for the Family to underline his closeness: «Wanting to silence those who think differently contrasts with the foundations of civilization and with our Constitution», the message. A sign of a clear reaction.
«I am sure that the secretary of the Democratic Party Elly Schlein, the entire left, the intellectuals – Antonio Scurati, Roberto Saviano, Nicola Lagioia, Chiara Valerio, etc. -, the “militant press” will have unequivocal words of solidarity towards me after the act of censorship”, wrote Roccella on Facebook. And again: «I am sure that the champions of freedom and democracy will not miss this opportunity to demonstrate that the evocation of fascism that does not exist was not just a political drama ready to vanish in the face of real censorship». The students who protested – about forty – after having spontaneously left the room, moved to the sidewalk of Via della Conciliazione and were identified by the Police. The Forum continues today, but yesterday’s tensions meant that the ministers withdrew. The head of the Mef Giancarlo Giorgetti made it known that he “was advised not to participate”. And Giuseppe Valditara (School) also had his video message created for the occasion withdrawn. In the evening, new episode: political sciences occupied at Sapienza.
THE DIVISIONS
The political forces are divided again. Meloni criticized the protesters who “fill their mouths with the words freedom, respect and self-determination of women, but then they love censorship and prevent a woman from speaking because they don’t share her ideas”. And again: «The show staged at the States General of the birth rate was ignoble». As for the opposition, Meloni’s invitation «is to condemn, without ifs or buts. It’s time to say enough.” Invitation not accepted. For Bonelli (Avs) «contesting is the basis of democracy». «We need to understand the concerns», the position of the Democratic Party. «Let’s not confuse dissent with censorship», says the dem Laura Boldrini. «Why evoke censorship?», asks Riccardo Magi (+Europa). A chorus of distinction. From which, for once, Giuseppe Conte, M5S leader, usually super-barricadero, stands out in a moderate sense: «Next time I would advise the students to let the minister speak and to contest her peacefully, even sonorously, in the end». The centrists’ line is different: “That was a place of debate and if they don’t let you talk it poisons everything,” says Carlo Calenda, leader of Action. And Matteo Renzi, IV, insists: “Whoever prevented the minister from speaking has offended everyone’s freedom and has shown himself to be what he is: violent.” Italia viva talks about “squad culture”. A tough stance also taken by the CISL: «An unfortunate act of incivility», says Luigi Sbarra. The center-right is united: «Here are the real fascists», says Occhiuto, governor of Calabria. While Tajani and Salvini speak respectively of “failure to respect the values of democracy” and “yet another act of violent censorship”. Today, at the States General, the Pope is there. Maybe he will bring some peace.
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© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
