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Chiara Marasca
The controversy continues over the debate organized by the ANPI, in which Di Battista and Professor Angelo d’Orsi took part. Hallissey (Radicals): serious message, we are attacked for asking uncomfortable questions
The conference held last December 22nd at the Federico II University of Naples, or rather, the dispute that broke out during the debate entitled “Russophilia, Russophobia, Truth”, organized by a section of the ANPI with the participation of Alessandro Di Battista. She spoke about the matter today on social media the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Italy, who cites the episode describing it as a “disturbing case of harassment” and points the finger at “the Ukrainization of Italian politics and public life in general”. The response from the pro-Ukraine activists involved in the flash mob protest was immediate: “Let the Italian government intervene.”
The conference and the protest
Already preceded by some controversies when it was still only scheduled, the confrontation organized at Federico II had recorded some moments of tension when a boy present in the room to participate in a flash mob organized by students, the Ukrainian community and activists of +Europa, Radicali, Ora!, Action and Liberi Oltre, after listening to the former Five Star parliamentarian and the university professor Angelo d’Orsi, storist and editor of the magazine The Magister’s Storyhad asked to speak, announcing his speech as “a protest speech”. The young man then actually intervened – and the video is online – but the president of Radicali and +Europa Matteo Hallissey, present in the room, claimed to have been attacked and pushed by some present when he pressed Professor d’Orsi by asking him “What was he doing in Russia, at Russia Today?”. The teacher then later claimed that he was the victim, «I am the one who was attacked. I suffered a premeditated, squad-based and organized attack”, and the ANPI for its part, publishing the video online with the intervention of the young pro-Ukraine man, stated: “We do not take anyone’s word away”.
The post of the Russian Embassy
Today the controversy continues and is fueled by the post onEmbassy of the Russian Federation in Italy, which says: «A video is circulating on social media of a disturbing case of harassment, suffered on 22 December 2025, at the University of Naples Federico II, by a group of Italian public figures who were participating in the conference “Russophilia, Russophobia, truth”, organized by the local section of the ANPI. On the Russian side, it has always been said that unconditional support for the supporters of the neo-Nazi and terrorist regime in Kiev implied that the worst rituals and behaviors that have existed in Ukraine since 2014 were transferred to Italy: cruelty, radicalism, intolerance, primordial nationalism, repression of dissent, xenophobia, and the like. All this – with the tacit consent and, in fact, with the complicity of the authorities – is inevitably leading to the “Ukrainization” of Italian politics and public life in general. The Naples episode demonstrated this in a particularly clear way. And it’s not the first time, alas, in recent times. And the death wishes included in the Christmas message of the President of Kiev’s criminal and corrupt junta are an eloquent warning of what “Ukrainization” can lead to. We express our full solidarity with the Italian citizens who are today victims of the Ukrainian Nazis and the irresponsible Italian politicians who support them.”
Hallissey (Radicali): grave message
The response did not take long Hallissey, among the protagonists of the aforementioned episode: «After waiting for the end of Di Battista and d’Orsi’s speeches, we attempted to ask Professor d’Orsi a very simple question, to which he has not yet answered: what was he doing two months ago in Moscow applauding Putin at the ceremony for the 20th anniversary of Russia Today» and «for Moscow, this episode would be nothing other than the symptom of the very dangerous “Ukrainization” of our country which, one aid shipment after another, would end up resembling more and more in Kyiv.” «Unfortunately – he continues – I do not see the desire for freedom and democracy that animates the resistance of the Ukrainian people spreading in Italy. If anything – he adds – I see the annoyance of some nostalgic people for questions that they don’t want to have to answer and who even go so far as to attack those who ask them. An annoyance that reminds me a lot of the attitude of a certain country. And it’s not Ukraine.”
Pro-Ukraine activists: the Government should intervene
Along the same lines is the declaration of the activists who were present at the “pro-Russian conference”, who “directly call the Italian government into question”, making “an appeal to the Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani to take a public, clear and unequivocal position”. And they state: «On December 22nd we were verbally and physically attacked by some organizers of the conference. We were also prevented from asking questions to the two speakers, contrary to what was previously announced, transforming an event hosted in a public university into a space of intimidation and denial of democratic debate.” The presence of the pro-Ukrainian group, the note continues, «concluded with the words “Now and always Resistance”, to recall the memory of the partisan struggle and its founding values: freedom, opposition to the invasion, defense of the attacked peoples». “Values that today appear betrayed precisely by those who recall that memory, while those who support Ukraine’s right to resist military aggression are criminalized, even going so far as to justify or minimize acts of violence and intimidation”, conclude the activists.
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December 25, 2025 (changed December 25, 2025 | 7:34 pm)
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