The escalation of tension continues in the street demonstrations of pro-Palestine students: after the truncheons in Pisa and the clashes at the Sapienza in Rome, the scuffles reached the Mole yesterday. They had announced that they would take to the streets against the presence of the ministers at the Valentino castle in Turin, and they respected their promise with the cry of “Zionists out of the university”.
Clashes and tensions with the police, seven officers bruised and injured and 30 identified among the activists, the outcome of yet another demonstration in favor of Palestine, a territory on fire and tormented by the war with Israel.
The students mobilizing against the agreements between the universities and Israel have, in fact, tried to march – before being blocked by the police – to the headquarters of the Polytechnic where a conference with the Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, was taking place , the Minister of University and Research, Anna Maria Bernini, the Minister of Agriculture, Francesco Lollobrigida, and the Minister of the Environment, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin. Egg throwing, smoke bombs and therefore tensions. Seven policemen were injured during attempts by protesters to break through the security cordon, as announced by the Turin police headquarters.
Student organizations, on social media, also reported injuries among themselves. Then also the irruption of a group of demonstrators with the Palestinian flag at the conference. But the ministers were already away.
“We firmly condemn what happened, the State stands alongside those who defend the freedom and security of all citizens”, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote on social media in expressing solidarity with the police “for yet another unacceptable attack by social and collective centers”. Lollobrigida speaks, instead, of “organized squads that try to prevent a conference from taking place in a university”. Tajani also expressed solidarity with the police. “You can demonstrate in favor of anyone or against anyone as long as you always respect the rules – commented the Foreign Minister –. Insulting the carabinieri, policemen and financiers is unacceptable”. And he also reiterated: “I will never cancel those agreements (with Israeli universities, ed.), given that they were made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and are scientific agreements. Science has no borders, it is neither a question of party nor of nations, if it means saving a human life, whether of a Jew, Christian, Muslim or atheist, scientific research must continue and woe to those who want to stop it for political reasons”.
Bernini, present at the conference, also underlines how in light of the new tensions “the Committee for order and security convened for tomorrow (today, ed.) at the Interior Ministry” is useful. “No dialogue – he added – with those who raid conferences, with those who attack rectories and those who attack the police”.
Right between the morning and afternoon sessions, after the ministers had left, a group of boys and girls broke into the Valentino Castle. At the same time as tensions were increasing in Turin, in the rest of the country students were preparing to demonstrate in their universities.
At the University of Bologna the students of the collectives reiterated their dissent towards the agreements between the university, Israel and “the war industries”. All while the academic senate was underway. Also held in Pisa, in front of the Sant’Anna high school. As in other universities the request was to “stop the agreements”. Students, teachers and administrative staff gathered in Genoa to discuss the “academic boycott” which, they underline, is their response “to repression”.
Meanwhile in Rome, today at 11am, there will be a sit in by the Sapienza collectives to contest the committee for order and security with Minister Bernini and the Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi. The demonstration is part of a state of “permanent agitation towards and beyond the academic senate of May 14” at Sapienza.
The tent garrison remains on the university lawn and the hunger strike carried out by the female and male students “in relay” continues.
Alessandro Belardetti
Tags: Marches Palestine policemen injured clashes Turin Meloni Unacceptable
