TRIESTE This year too was a tense April 25th in Trieste. On the one hand, the official celebrations for the 79th anniversary of the liberation from the fascist regime and Nazi occupation in Italy in San Sabba rice mill, with entry to the Monument once again being free, without reservations for up to a maximum of 2,200 people. Celebrations that saw a polemical aftermath between the governor of Friuli Venezia Giulia Massimiliano Fedriga and the president of the Anpi of Padua Floriana Rizzetto.
On the other hand, moments of tension were experienced outside the National Monument, with the procession of demonstrators from collective “Burjana”, which, after paralyzing traffic from San Giacomo to Servola, reached the San Sabba rice mill. Here, in front of the entrance barred by the police in riot gear, the riot began throwing of firecrackers, with chants and shouts until the final scene, with the demonstrators surrounding a local police car, preventing it from moving: Inspector Fulvio Sluga was behind the wheel and was targeted with abusive phrases.
In the end the situation fortunately did not degenerate and the day ended without clashes.
April 25th in Trieste, protesters blocked by the police in front of the Risiera
The ceremony
The official ceremony began with the laying of a laurel wreath by the president of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Massimiliano Fedrigaof the prefect of Trieste, Pietro Signorielloand the mayor, Roberto Dipiazza. In the presence of civil, military and religious authorities, other wreaths were then laid by groups and associations. The unions and the Anpi are also present. Some flags are waving among the audience, including that of peace and that of Fiom.
The mayor’s speech
“It is important that the liberation is a unified celebration, because the freedom achieved is a good for everyone, without exclusions,” said Dipiazza. “The resistance was the action of different forces, not just one part, united in a rush of freedom, in the desire to start again towards a happier and fairer future for all.” Today, he concluded, «in the world it is time for a new commitment on the part of peoples and governments to return to speaking to each other with the language of peace. Long live freedom, long live the Constitution, long live the Italian Republic.”
At the end a voice from the audience added ‘Long live anti-fascism’. Long applause followed and chants of ‘Now and always resistance’ were sung.
Trieste celebrates April 25th: the words of Mayor Dipiazza
The Fedriga-Rizzetto controversy
At the end of the ceremony the president of Friuli Venezia Giulia Massimiliano Fedriga harshly attacked the president of the Anpi of Padua Floriana Rizzettor for the words said during the ceremony: “The representative of the Anpi of Padua in a dramatic place like the Risiera wanted to humiliate another dramatic place like the Foibe by making an unacceptable reductionist move on April 25th. It is a shame that come here from Padua to humiliate this land, these people and the blood shed.”
25 April in Trieste, Fedriga attacks the president of the Anpi of Padua: “Unacceptable words on the foibe”
The passage in Rizzetto’s intervention at the origin of Fedriga’s disappointment, considered in fact a reductionist passage which according to the governor humiliated the Foibe, is the following: “Even the complex events of the eastern border continue to be exploited to bring water to one’s own political party often with authentic manipulations of what has happened”.
The rabbi’s invitation to peace
The rabbi Melons, before the ceremony, he spoke above all about peace: “Today is a day of freedom, of peace, in which the end of the atrocities of Nazi-fascism is celebrated. Unfortunately in many parts of the world there are still ongoing wars and atrocities. My thoughts go to the Holy Land and Gaza, the whole world would like this violence to stop.”
The parade
The day, as mentioned, began at 9 in the square of Campo San Giacomo with the meeting of the demonstrators of the “Burjana” collective. Around 400 people gathered in an “anti-fascist march”.
The Police Headquarters had communicated some requirements, including changes to the timetable (with the request to leave at 12). The demonstrators, equipped with Palestinian flags and banners, gathered as early as 9am. After 9.30am the demonstrators left despite the police station’s ban.
A large part of Via dell’Istria was blocked, causing heavy traffic disruption. The passage of the procession made it necessary to block the entire traffic of Via dell’Istria, Via Baiamonti, the Piazza Foraggi tunnel and the Servola area.
April 25th in Trieste, the procession started despite the ban from the Police Headquarters
There are numerous possibilities of the order. In addition to the throwing of numerous firecrackers, the lighting of smoke bombs, offensive shouts towards politicians (including “shoot Salvini” and “Fedriga is a Nazi the first on the list”), law enforcement officers and journalists (two of them were pushed by the demonstrators), no tensions were recorded along the route.
Around 11 am the demonstrators almost reached the San Sabba rice mill, where the official ceremony began. The Carabinieri and Police cordon were positioned in front of Ratto della pileria, blocking the road.
April 25th in Trieste, the procession passes in front of the police blockade
The demonstrators continued along the road until they reached Via Flavia, while threats and insults towards journalists continued.
However, around 11.30 the demonstrators reached the Risiera, where the entrance was blocked by the police. The demonstrators threw powerful firecrackers at the address of the Police and Carabinieri, where however families with children were also present. “We are not free to access this place, you disgust”, the words shouted into a megaphone. “Fascist instructions, this is the Police Headquarters that represses freedom”.
The last moments of tension were recorded at the end as a local police car attempted to head towards Via Miani, but was surrounded by protesters who prevented it from moving. Inspector Fulvio Sluga was behind the wheel and was targeted with abusive words.
Protesters block the police car outside the Risiera di Trieste
The defiled monument
In the meantime, the monument commemorating the fallen in the War of Liberation of Servola, Sant’Anna and Coloncovez, located near the Sant’Anna cemetery, has been marked with black writing: “25 April national mourning”.
“It is an uncivilized and unacceptable gesture – were the words of the PD city councilor Valentina Repini and the district councillor Majda Kodrich, who are part of the Committee for the monument – a disfigurement that represents a very serious offense and a further wound to those who, even at the cost of their lives, chose without hesitation which side to take: on the side of freedom, justice, democracy – on the right side. This is a place where messages of peace, respect for the Constitution and with the constant commitment to ensure that the thoughts of the young generations find space and representation are spread daily. In fact, just yesterday several school groups were hosted to visit the Monument and pay honor to the fallen.”
The PD secretary Maria Luisa Paglia adds: “Memory is the foundation on which the future is built. We ask local institutions to do everything possible to identify those responsible for this act and bring them to justice. We cannot allow the memory of our heroes to be tarnished by ignorance and lack of respect.”
