"Black shirts" e "red ticks". The clash between the Democratic Party and the League after the Bologna case

Two parliamentary questions and a long trail of controversy. This is what remains of the ‘black day’ experienced yesterday by the city of Bologna, between Casapound marches and anti-fascist demonstrations. Above all, what is causing discussion is the prefecture’s choice to authorize the procession of neo-fascists, also not far from Bologna station, scene of the massacre of 2 August 1980 for which exponents of the far right were convicted. “A disgrace to our city”, he defines it Andrea De Maria deputy of the Democratic Party: “Having allowed the demonstration to take place in Piazza XX Settembre, despite the obvious dangers to public order, represented a truly unacceptable choice”, adds De Maria announcing the first question to the Minister of the Interior.

The opposition: “Piantedosi clarify”

The mayor Matteo Lepore accuses the government of having “sent 300 black shirts instead” while the people of Bologna are asking for “flood funds, infrastructure funds, funds for the police forces who are needed to do the work on the right to safety in our city”. It is precisely the management of public order that provides the second terrain for political conflict. According to Silp CGIL, the agents’ union, some far-right leaders were heard – and filmed by mobile phone cameras – while giving “orders” to officials in the square. “We consider it unacceptable what we could observe in some images showing one of the leaders of far-right movements giving orders to officials responsible for public order”, reads the statement. The reaction of the Greens and Left Alliance was immediate and, with the group leader Peppe De Cristofaroannounces another question. “Piantedosi must immediately come to the courtroom to report on these declarations and clarify whether it is the Interior Ministry or Casapound that manages public order”, echoes Riccardo Magi of Più Europa. If the request to close neo-fascist organizations comes from the left, the right calls for the closure of social centres.

Salvini against social centers: “Delinquents, criminals”

The deputy prime minister and leader of the League, Matteo Salvini, defines “yesterday’s images from Milan and Bologna as shameful and unacceptable. These social centers occupied by the communists must be closed and I will ask Minister Piantedosi to do so today”, warns Salvini. “Red ticks”, attacks the minister, “communists, criminals, social center criminals. I don’t know, define them as you want”. The reply comes from the Avs exponent, Filiberto Zaratti: “Social centers are places of lively and indispensable culture and sharing. We need more of them, against a minister like Matteo Salvini who is increasingly openly opposing the constitutional values ​​of our Republic”.

The dem senator, Sandra Zampa, reads Salvini’s words as offensive to the citizens of Bologna: “It is very serious that instead of apologizing to the city for having allowed dozens of Casapound militants in black shirts to march in Bologna, the citizens today have to suffer violent and offensive statements by members of the right-wing government majority such as those of Salvini”, underlines Zampa.

The case of the posters

The secretary of Più Europa, Riccardo Magi underlines that “even today Salvini is not working to solve the transport problem that afflicts Italians. A crossfire also fueled by the posters that appeared today, once again in Bologna. You can see the faces , stained by two bloody handprints, of Giorgia Meloni and the Minister for the University Anna Maria Bernini. The posters call the students to mobilize for the “national student strike – No Meloni Day” on November 15th they are the result of a climate of hatred and intimidation against the government.

“It is worrying that someone suggests violence against two women, especially if it is done by university students who should have some rudiments of culture”, says the president of the Fratelli d’Italia senators, Lucio Malan. “Announcing a student strike by disseminating Bologna with posters of the bloodied faces of Prime Minister Meloni and Minister Bernini, to whom I want to express my total solidarity, demonstrates not only the climate of intimidation and hatred taking place against the government, but the intention to transform that demonstration was yet another act of urban guerrilla warfare and aggression against our police forces”, underlines Forza Italia senator Licia Ronzulli.