2013 Italian social protests explained

2013 Italian social protests
Date:15 November 2013 – 18 December 2013
Place:Italy; several locations
Causes:
Methods:Demonstrations, protest marches, sit-ins, strike actions, roadblocks, vandalism, online activism
Casualties1:Injured: Dozens[1] [2]
Arrested: 17[3] [4] [5]
Casualties2:Injured: 14 (police)[6]

In 2013, protests occurred in many parts of Italy, starting on 15 November and ending on 18 December although several protests continued until February.

Usual targets have been the government, high taxation, red tape, established parties, the European Union, the Euro, the Common Agricultural Policy, and Globalization.[7] The protesters' goals include the overthrow of Enrico Letta's government, the resignation of President Giorgio Napolitano and the dissolution of Parliament. Some went so far as to propose the formation of a military junta to lead the country out of Eurozone.[8] [9]

The whole protests, including rallies, demonstrations and blockades of highways and rail service, were dubbed by journalists Pitchfork protests[10] [11] [12] from the name of one of the leading participants: the Sicilian-based "Pitchforks Movement", which has been active in Sicily since 2011 and was characterised by an autonomist streak.[13] In the 2012 Sicilian regional election the Pitchforks supported either Mariano Ferro (candidate for "People of Pitchworks") or Cateno De Luca (candidate for "Sicilian Revolution"),[14] who both hailed from the Movement for the Autonomies and received a combined 2.5% of the vote.[15]

Several groups, sometimes in conflict one with another, have animated protests, benefiting from a loose or non-existent coordination. They included a diverse bunch of groups: the original Pitchfork Movement, associations of truck drivers, environmental activists, farmers, entrepreneurs, unemployed people, football fans, minor political parties (including New Force and CasaPound, two far-right movements), and a plethora of local groups.[7] The European Federalist Free Entrepreneurs (LIFE), a libertarian and mainly Venetian nationalist[16] organization led by Lucio Chiavegato (a former president of Veneto State), has been playing a big role in Veneto.[17] [18] [19] [20]

The committee which organized the first protests, the "National Coordination 9 December 2013",[21] was led by Mariano Ferro, Lucio Chiavegato and Danilo Calvani (a farmer from Lazio).[22]

In December 2013, Pitchfork spokesman Andrea Zunino claimed that Italy was a "slave" to Jewish bankers; this anti-Semitic remark was widely condemned.[23] [24] As a result of this and of neo-fascist infiltrations, Ferro and Chiavegato, who distanced himself from neo-fascists and Italian nationalists, decided not to take part to the 18 December demonstration in Rome.[25]

In March 2014 Chiavegato announced that the 9 December Movement had been dissolved and that he would concentrate again on Veneto only.[26]

In April, Chiavegato and other leading members of the LIFE were arrested, along with other Venetian separatists (including Franco Rocchetta and two members of the Venetian Most Serene Government), for suspected crimes including criminal association for terrorism and subversion of the democratic order.[27] Chiavegato, who endured a 17-day hunger strike in jail,[28] [29] was released on 18 April, along with Rocchetta and most of the others, as the tribunal of Brescia did not uphold the accusations.[30] [31]

Timeline

15 NovemberThousands of students protested in major university centers in the country against proposed spending cuts in the 2014 budget. Scuffles broke out with riot police at some marches as protesters rallied in Rome, Turin and Palermo.[32]
  • 26 NovemberOn 26 November 2013 Trasportounito, a truckers' union, announced a strike which would take place from 9 December through 13 December.[33] On 4 December 2013 thousands of people gathered in Brenner, the Austrian-Italian border, to protest the counterfeited goods imported abroad.[34]
    • 9 December 2013Thousands of farmers, lorry drivers, pensioners and unemployed people have taken to the streets in Italy as part of a series of protests against the government and the European Union.[35] Demonstrators stopped train services by walking on the tracks while striking lorry drivers disrupted traffic by driving slowly and blocking roads.[36]
    10 December 2013In Turin, police officers used tear gas to disperse demonstrators who had been throwing rocks and bottles at the headquarters of Italy's tax collection agency. Two demonstrators were arrested for violence. An additional number of 32 people were given police warnings for blocking roads.

    In Savona, near Genova, protesters broke into a bookshop urging the owner to "shut down the store and set fire to the books".

    11 December 2013On 11 December, violence erupted in Milan when 20 Ajax fans, who had arrived in the city for the Champions League game against AC Milan, got off their bus and hurled beer cans and insults at the demonstrators in the central Loreto Square. Police intervened quickly to break up the fighting, but five Ajax supporters and an Italian peddler were injured.[37] [38]
    12 December 2013In Rome, hundreds of students clashed with police and threw firecrackers outside a university where government ministers were attending a conference. "Our university isn’t a catwalk for those who peddle austerity" read a banner. Clashes have been also reported in Ventimiglia, a locality on the Italian-French border.[39]
    14 December 2013A group of protesters of the neo-fascist movement CasaPound attacked the headquarters of the European Union in Rome. The leader of the movement, Simone Di Stefano, ripped the EU flag from the balcony of the building and replaced it with the Italian one. The protesters have been charged by the police and, after tough fighting, ten of them, including Di Stefano, have been arrested.[40]
    18 December 2013After the renouncement of Mariano Ferro and Lucio Chiavegato to take part to the demonstration in Rome, Danilo Calvani, the leader of Lazio's factions of the movement, remained the only one to participate to it.[41] Simone Di Stefano, the Vice-President of the neo-fascist CasaPound said that his movement will take part to the protest.[42] The Ministry of the Interior deployed 2,000 police officers to maintain security.[43]

    See also

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Redazione Il Fatto Quotidiano . Forconi, arrestato vicepresidente di Casapound. Mercoledì presidio nazionale. Il Fatto Quotidiano. 2013-12-14 . 2013-12-19.
    2. Web site: 'Forconi', la protesta invade l'Italia A Torino 14 feriti tra le forze dell'ordine - Adnkronos Cronaca . Adnkronos.com . 2013-12-09 . 2013-12-19.
    3. Web site: Italian neo-fascist group tears down flag from EU headquarters. Reuters. 2013-12-14 . 2013-12-19.
    4. Web site: Milan-Ajax, 5 ultrŕ olandesi feriti, 6 restano in carcere. Scontri col movimento dei Forconi - La Gazzetta dello Sport . Gazzetta.it . 2013-12-19.
    5. Web site: Redazione Il Fatto Quotidiano . Sciopero Forconi, scontri a Torino: un arrestato. "Protesta a oltranza" - Il Fatto Quotidiano . Ilfattoquotidiano.it . 2011-11-23 . 2013-12-19.
    6. Web site: "Forconi" in sciopero, proteste e disagi Scontri a Torino, 14 agenti feriti - Tgcom24 . Tgcom24.mediaset.it . 2013-12-19.
    7. Web site: 7 cose sulle proteste dei "forconi" . Il Post.
    8. Web site: Di Caterina Giusberti . "Politici a casa e giunta militare": la rabbia dei forconi modenesi - Bologna - Repubblica.it . Bologna.repubblica.it . 2013-12-14 . 2013-12-19.
    9. Web site: Massimo Solani. Neofascisti e ultrà con il popolo della rabbia. L'Unità. 2013-12-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20131214195658/http://www.unita.it/italia/movimento-forconi-destra-forza-nuova-casapound-mse-grillo-immigrati-scontri-foto-video-neofascisti-1.538769. 2013-12-14. dead.
    10. Web site: Clashes with fans as Pitchfork protests enter third day. Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata English. 2013-12-19.
    11. Web site: Cinelli . Antonella . Italy's 'pitchfork protests,' in fourth day, spread to Rome . Reuters . 2013-12-12 . 2013-12-19.
    12. Web site: 'Pitchfork' protests reveal economic frustration in Italy | The Stream - Al Jazeera English . Stream.aljazeera.com . 2013-12-19.
    13. Web site: Cos'è e cosa vuole il "Movimento dei Forconi" . it . IlGiornale.it . 2013-12-19.
    14. Web site: Forconi, divisi verso le elezioni regionali Da Forza Nuova a Crocetta, o in solitaria. CTzen. 2011-11-07. 2013-12-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20131212234853/http://ctzen.it/2012/09/10/forconi-divisi-verso-le-elezioni-regionali-da-forza-nuova-a-crocetta-o-in-solitaria/. 2013-12-12. dead.
    15. Web site: Sicilia - Elezioni Regionali 28 ottobre 2012 - la . Repubblica.it . 2013-12-19.
    16. Web site: Nome * . I Forconi che ci piacciono | L'intraprendente . Lintraprendente.it . 2013-12-19.
    17. Web site: Il falegname con il mito di Putin e gli altri capi della rivolta . Archiviostorico.corriere.it . 2013-12-19.
    18. Web site: I Forconi in strada: invaderemo Roma . Archiviostorico.corriere.it . 2013-12-19.
    19. Web site: Forconi, Tir e autonomisti Il popolo degli arrabbiati - Corriere del Veneto . Corrieredelveneto.corriere.it . 2013-12-19.
    20. Web site: I Forconi preparano la fase due: A Verona e Mestre contro Equitalia - Corriere del Veneto . Corrieredelveneto.corriere.it . 2013-12-19.
    21. Web site: Coordinamento Nazionale - 9 dicembre 2013 . 9dicembre2013.it . 2013-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131209193159/http://www.9dicembre2013.it/coordinamento-nazionale.html . 2013-12-09 . dead .
    22. Web site: Forconi, ecco chi è e da dove viene il leader Danilo Calvani. Il Messaggero. 2013-12-19.
    23. Web site: Social Justice Protest in Italy Takes an anti-Semitic Turn. Haaretz.com.
    24. Web site: Italian populist leader slammed for Jews and money slur. Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2013-12-15 . 2013-12-19.
    25. Web site: Forconi, il movimento si spacca Chiavegato: no "marcia" su Roma - Corriere del Veneto . Corrieredelveneto.corriere.it . 2013-12-19.
    26. Web site: Chiavegato: "Il 9 dicembre è morto. Ora, si pensi solo al Veneto". L'Indipendenza Nuova. 2014-04-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20140407145450/http://www.lindipendenza.com/chiavegato-il-9-dicembre-e-morto-ora-si-pensi-solo-al-veneto/. 2014-04-07. dead.
    27. Web site: Indipendentisti, blitz all'alba: 24 arresti Sequestrato 'tanko', in manette Rocchetta. R. Pol.. Corriere del Veneto.
    28. Web site: Faccia: "Sono un prigioniero di guerra" E Chiavegato inizia lo sciopero della fame. Corriere del Veneto.
    29. Web site: Faccia: "Sono prigioniero di guerra" Tutti gli altri in silenzio davanti al gip. ilgazzettino.it.
    30. Web site: Scarcerati Rocchetta e Chiavegato Il riesame: cade l'accusa di terrorismo. Andrea Priante. Corriere del Veneto.
    31. Web site: La Nuova di Venezia. La Nuova di Venezia. 2014-04-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20140429192056/http://nuovavenezia.gelocal.it/2014/04/24/news/l-accusa-non-regge-secessionisti-a-casa-liberi-o-ai-domiciliari-1.9102292. 2014-04-29. dead.
    32. News: Students protest over austerity cuts in Italy . BBC News . 15 November 2013.
    33. Web site: Trasportounito, Il Congresso Conferma Pensiero E Longo . Trasportando.com . 2013-12-19.
    34. Web site: Coldiretti, protesta "invade" il Brennero. Bloccati i tir: "No a falso cibo italiano" . il Fatto Quotidiano . 4 December 2013 . 12 December 2013.
    35. Web site: Italian police fire tear gas as thousands stage "Pitchfork Protest". Reuters. December 9, 2013.
    36. Web site: Italy: ‘Pitchfork protesters’ disrupt road and rail travel in protest at state of economy. Euronews.com . 2013-12-19.
    37. Web site: Scontri prima di Milan-Ajax: cinque tifosi olandesi e un ambulante italiano accoltellati - Tgcom24 . Tgcom24.mediaset.it . 2013-12-15 . 2013-12-19.
    38. Web site: Protesta dei Forconi: scontri a Milano con tifosi dell'Ajax. Sport.sky.it . 2013-12-19.
    39. Web site: Italian interior minister warns of "spiral of rebellion" after fourth day of social unrest | euronews, world news . Euronews.com . 2013-12-19.
    40. Web site: Forconi: "Mercoledì tutti a piazza del Popolo" Blitz Ue, arrestato il vice capo di Casapound . Roma - Repubblica.it. 2013-12-14 . 2013-12-19.
    41. Web site: Forconi, correnti interne dividono la protesta: a Roma due manifestazioni - Tgcom24 . Tgcom24.mediaset.it . 2013-12-19.
    42. Web site: Forconi, destra radicale si spacca. Casapound c'è, Forza Nuova no. "Marciamo su Roma come nel 1922" (FOTO) . Huffingtonpost.it . 2013-12-19.
    43. Web site: Forconi - 2000 agenti e rischio tensioni a Roma - OGGI NOTIZIE . Ogginotizie.it . 2013-12-19.

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