In the orange room of the IIS Giovanni Falcone in Palazzolo, a meeting was held on Friday evening with the theme: “50 years since the massacre, the premises and the trials”, an event organized with the patronage of the Casa della Memoria, the Family Association and fallen massacre in Piazza Loggia, the Municipality of Brescia and the Province, included in the official calendar of commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the neo-fascist attack, which will culminate with the visit of President Mattarella on 28 May.
Among the speakers were the lawyer Andrea Ricci – not only an eyewitness to the attack, but since 1974 defender of the civil party Manlio Milani, injured by the explosion of the bomb and husband of one of the deceased victims – and the professor and lawyer Federica Paletti , researcher in “History of medieval and modern law” at the Department of Law of the University of Brescia.
Also present in the room was the mayor of Palazzolo Gianmarco Cossandi, who – together with the budget councilor representing the municipal administration – expressed their sensitivity for such an important anniversary: ”It is essential to remember an event so close to us which has marked our history – said Mayor Cosssandi – and it is right to be here in a school to learn about it, because this is how education in civilization and citizenship is done”.
Professor Paletti masterfully illustrated the historical-social premises in which the attack on May 28, 1974 occurred during an anti-fascist demonstration. “Everyone was in the square that day: unions, workers, families, students, teachers and therefore striking that square meant striking an entire society”. And again drawing inspiration from the sentence of the Court of Assizes and Appeals of Milan, which decreed life imprisonment in 2015 for the accused Tramonte and Zorzi, Paletti illustrated the historical and social context in which the massacre took place, which – precisely with that sentence – was linked to the numerous other attacks that occurred from the beginning of 1974 in the Brescia area leading up to May 28th.
The lawyer Andrea Ricci instead told the story of fifty years of trials including acquittals and misdirections by the secret services, starting from a simple question: “But what sense does it make today after 50 years to still hold trials for the massacre?” referring to the two proceedings, one before the Juvenile Court and the other before the Court of Assizes of the Court of Brescia, which will start next month. After the judicial process narrated in great detail, the answer to the question revealed itself: “Yes, it makes sense because judicial truth will be able to contribute to eradicating the deviant part of the State which, over the years, has contaminated the trials and investigations covering up those truly responsible for the death and the climate of terror that prevailed at the time.” And he then concluded: “Celebrating a trial now means fighting the rottenness that still exists today, a form of struggle for democracy and freedom. That’s why it’s important.”
