The Italian Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi, had no choice but to appear yesterday to condemn the embarrassing fascist rally that was held on Sunday in Rome to commemorate the murder of two activists of the Italian Social Movement (MSI) in 1978 in front of the party headquarters. in Acca Larentia. “There is no doubt that it arouses indignation, and the indignation is transversal,” said the Italian minister, in an extraordinary commission to analyze the fight against the phenomena of intolerance, racism, anti-Semitism and incitement to hatred and violence.
Italy remains embarrassed by the scene that is repeated every January 7, in the memory of those events during the turbulent years of lead in front of the former headquarters of the MSI, the party that brought together the admirers of Benito Mussolini. Two young people were murdered by a far-left group. In the demonstration protesting these deaths, a third militant died in clashes with the police. The participants tend to be always the same, members of the residual Roman neo-fascist universe, convened by groups like Casapound and Forza Nuova, the same ones that travel every October to Predappio, Mussolini's hometown, to pay tribute to the march on Rome.
But on this occasion, the images of a thousand nostalgic people performing the Roman salute in unison shouting "present" have generated a political storm, leading the opposition to demand that the Government open an investigation. Also because at this moment the party in power is the Brothers of Italy, the political heir of the Italian Social Movement. The Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, has for the moment chosen to remain silent in the face of these events.
“Brothers of Italy has nothing to do with what has happened. Our parliamentarians and representatives were present and will always be present at the official commemoration carried out by the City Council of Rome,” defended yesterday the party's organization manager, Giovanni Donzelli, very close to the premier. The same one who defined those who made the fascist salutes as “one or two hundred imbeciles” who end up being “useful for the left.”
The question is how can these images be seen every year without prohibiting concentration. According to the historian specialized in fascism Davide Conti, the reason is that “Italy has never been accountable either to historical fascism or to neo-fascism in democracy, with a party, the MSI, that openly declared itself the heir of fascism.” “The Roman salute is prohibited as an apology for fascism, but the problem is applying the laws, and neither law enforcement nor justice have the drive to do so. The demonstration is authorized, but not fascist gestures,” he explains. “And the real problem with the Roman salute is that there is no shared culture of anti-fascism as the cement of democracy, and therefore a part of public opinion and the right-wing ruling class does not condemn it,” continues the expert.
“Prohibiting and not observing is counterproductive. "Whoever manages public order must do everything possible so that incidents do not occur," responded Minister Piantedosi, arguing that these demonstrations have been taking place for years and in the past participation was even higher. For the moment, the General Investigations and Special Operations Division (DIGOS) of the Italian police will send in the coming days to the Rome Prosecutor's Office the analysis of the recordings made by the scientific police with the aim of identifying the participants of the concentration. , which could lead to the opening of an investigation. The 5 Star Movement (M5E) has also announced that it will report the facts to the Prosecutor's Office to clarify whether the videos that embarrass Italy constitute a crime of apology for fascism.
