In Catania, a group of students yesterday blocked a conference organized by the Scienza e vita association by occupying the rectorate of the University of Catania, where the initiative was underway, and displaying banners with the words `Transphobia out of UniCt!´ . The presence of Senator Paola Binetti, doctors and jurists was also expected at the discussions on `Gender dysphoria in minors and alias careers in schools: medical, anthropological and legal issues’.
After the early closing of the conference and the clearing of the room, the students remained in the main hall of the rector’s office in a permanent assembly, making a public meeting today at 9am in front of the rector’s office.
The lawyer tells the “live” story of what happened. Salvatore Litrico, provincial head of the Justice department of the Christian Democrats.
“I would have liked to take part in the conference entitled “Gender dysphoria in minors and the “alias” career in educational institutions: medical, legal and anthropological issues” which should have been held this afternoon (yesterday ed.) and tomorrow morning (today ed.) in the great hall of the Rectorate with the participation of illustrious speakers (university professors of Moral Philosophy, General Paediatrics, Endocrinology; professionals operating in the fields of Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry), but unfortunately the massive and well-organised presence of about sixty people (some kids and many not) prevented the start, occupying the great hall in the true sense of the term, climbing onto the seats and waving banners with hostile slogans and singing stadium chants against the speakers, the associations that they had organized the conference, calling both fascists and even contesting the presence of the Archbishop, invited to say greetings, and some priests who were also present; in short, giving a clear and evident demonstration, with their behaviour, of what they meant by calling them fascists!
After about two hours of useless attempts to appeal to civil tones and proposals for discussion, “thefts” of microphones to read statements against the speakers and the associations promoting the event, in the disarming inertia of the Institution (the University) which hosted the conference, it was suspended and the main hall left to the occupation of the protesters who then displayed their sheets even outside the windows overlooking Piazza Università.
As an “infiltrator” among the protesters, I tried to explain to them that, regardless of the opposing positions, no form that prevents them from being expressed is acceptable since such behavior already in itself contradicts those ideals of freedom in the name of which the protest is being initiated, but none of my interlocutors seemed interested and indeed it was candidly confessed to me that their intent was to boycott the conference and that they were happy to have succeeded.
From which I concluded that the true fascists are those who accuse others of being so, that democracy is in the hands of the (true) fascists, that the institutions continue to tolerate, if not cause or make possible, being trampled upon and exploited to give voice to those who, after all, still remain a small minority who nevertheless emerge as a majority due to the usual absence of those who think differently…”.
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