There are no rights without freedom. And in a moment of authoritarian suspicions, “Workers’ Day” has become on the stage ofA Free and Thinking May of Taranto an extension of April 25th in which they participated 30 thousand people. With artists, journalists, sociologists and activists we talked about precarious work and exploitation, about the environment being sold off and health at risk, about the former Ilva and other disputes, about censorship and right to information, peace and war (with only one Palestinian flag flying in the public). But the central theme was theanti-fascismfrom the opening speech of the artistic director Michele Riondino, who better explained the meaning of the post-shock of a few days ago, when he published the photo of the president of the Senate, Ignazio La Russa, portrayed upside down next to Mussolini (“Maybe I got the times and methods wrong, but I refer to the words of the partisan president Pertini, when he said that ideas must be defended and respected, except fascism, which is the death of ideas”, said the Apulian actor and director), to the words Of Roberto Salisthe last guest to speak late in the evening on the stage set up in the Parco delle mura Greche.
Salis’ letter: «Solidarity is a great help»
Salis spoke about the difficult detention of his daughter Ilaria, the activist who has been detained in Hungary awaiting trial for over a year, and is now a candidate for the European Parliament for the Greens and Left Alliance, to reiterate the danger of an anti-democratic drift in the heart of the Old Continent. Salis also read a message from her daughter, which she called “a ‘epitome of anti-fascism»: «I thank all the comrades of the One May of Taranto. Your solidarity and support have been of great help to me in dealing with the situation I find myself in.” And then: “Thanks to your solidarity and support, I hope this nightmare will end soon.”
But Taranto’s May Day was above all one fantastic musical marathon, which started at 2.20pm with an emerging local band, Marte, and officially ended at 11.30pm with Mannarino accompanied by the Uno Maggio Orchestra in a wild tarantella (then it continued with a DJ set). The highest musical moment was given by Paolo Tofani, Patrizio Fariselli and Ares Tavolazzi who, with the Area Open Project, celebrated one of the cult bands of prog-rock, which they founded with the late Giulio Capiozzo and Demetrio Stratos.
«Bella ciao» and «The deserter»
May Day also featured a charismatic performance by Three happy dead boys, the masked band of the singer-designer Davide Toffolo who, at a certain point, held together «Bella ciao» and «Il disertore» by Ivano Fossati. And a leading performance was offered by Brunori Sas and, almost at the end of the evening, by Marlene Kuntz with their signature rock. There was also a curtain call Francesca Michielinwho on the day in which work is celebrated wanted to pay homage to precarious workers all over the world by transforming one of his great successes into «No type of remuneration», while Willie Peyotegiven the climate, took the opportunity to return to April 25th by presenting the song about Prime Minister Meloni that he had provocatively published on Liberation Day, «Giorgia nel Paese che si marvel».
The organizers, who before the event had estimated 25 thousand attendances, announced that this had been achieved a peak of 30 thousand spectators. Among other things, to facilitate the counting, free entry tickets had been prepared, on which the possibility of a minimum contribution of 2 euros was indicated to finance the initiative, which has considerable costs and which, Remember, guest artists have always participated without receiving any fee.
In mid-afternoon, when a few drops began to fall, there was also fear that the rain it could have ruined the party, as had already happened last year, when the organizers were forced to interrupt the concert and continue for a few at Spazioporto. But it was only a moment.
