A red carnation held in the hand by Antonio Scurati while from the stage of the national demonstration in Milan he proclaimed that April 25th is not simply “the celebration of liberation, but the celebration of liberation from Nazi-fascism” and an enormous Palestinian flag left on the base of the statue of Vittorio Emanuele II at the end of the demonstration: these are the images that give the key to understanding a day of demonstrations staged throughout Italy to honor the “anti-fascist Republic”, not without contrasts, especially between pro-Palestinians and the Jewish community and brigade.
The clashes
In particular in Rome, where there were protests and throwing of stones and paper bombs, and in Milan, where there were moments of tension, a boy injured in the protests against the Jewish Brigade, about ten people taken to the police station, the pro-Palestinians who arrived in the square early to stand in front of the stage with a sea of green, red and black flags that managed to break through the barriers. Then recreated by the police cordon.
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Pro-Palestine signs in Piazza del Duomo
A protest that was a real thing, according to the president of the Milanese ANPI Primo Minelli, who is however convinced that “two or three hundred people protesting do not dirty a demonstration with over one hundred thousand participants”. Many, an “excellent response” according to the mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala who, from the stage, announced that fascism “was a crime” and that the Constitution must now be defended from changes that want to “overturn” it, i.e. the premiership. “Milan and its mayor say today, April 25, that they cannot touch the Constitution in this way. And they won’t touch it” he promised, applauded while initially he had been booed by the pro-Palestinian group, who wanted to intervene from the stage.
Darken on stage
Scurati took the floor instead, reading the censored monologue on Rai, reiterating that until the term anti-fascism “is pronounced by those who govern, the specter of fascism will continue to haunt the house of Italian democracy”. Greatly applauded, he came down and received a hug from Elly Schlein, who took part in the procession but preferred not to go on stage with Anpi and others. “April 25 is a day in which the commitment and fight for the defense of our Constitution and for its full implementation must be renewed” explained the dem secretary.
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Italian President Mattarella
The ANPI: recognize Palestine
Pulling the strings of interventions was President Anpi Gianfranco Pagliarulo who asked Italy to “recognise the Palestinian State”, the ceasefire and the return of the hostages, but above all he spoke about the defense of law 194 and the constitution and concluded with “W la Repubblica Antifascista”.
Salvini: evidently anti-fascist government
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said he considered it “evident” that the government is anti-fascist while taking part in the laying of laurel wreaths at the monument to the fallen soldiers in Milan. Ceremonies throughout Italy, with also mourning: she died of an illness, after the commemoration, Mirella Cerini, fifty-year-old mayor of Castellanza in the Varese area, still wearing the tricolor sash. Anti-fascism is what Ilaria Salis, in prison for 14 months in Hungary on charges of attacking two right-wing extremists, asked to respect in his message. “From my cell I ardently desire that my country every day shows itself worthy of its history, that today as in the past it wants to oppose the injustice of the world and take the right side of history”, read the father from the Roman stage .
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Meloni and La Russa during the commemoration in Rome
