Global Information2013 Italian social protests information
| 2013 Italian social protests | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 15 November 2013 – 18 December 2013 (1 month and 3 days) | ||
| Location | Italy; several locations | ||
| Caused by |
| ||
| Methods | Demonstrations, protest marches, sit-ins, strike actions, roadblocks, vandalism, online activism | ||
| Casualties and losses | |||
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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]
- ^ Redazione Il Fatto Quotidiano (2013-12-14). "Forconi, arrestato vicepresidente di Casapound. Mercoledì presidio nazionale". Il Fatto Quotidiano. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ "'Forconi', la protesta invade l'Italia A Torino 14 feriti tra le forze dell'ordine - Adnkronos Cronaca". Adnkronos.com. 2013-12-09. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ "Italian neo-fascist group tears down flag from EU headquarters". Reuters. 2013-12-14. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ "Milan-Ajax, 5 ultrŕ olandesi feriti, 6 restano in carcere. Scontri col movimento dei Forconi - La Gazzetta dello Sport". Gazzetta.it. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ Redazione Il Fatto Quotidiano (2011-11-23). "Sciopero Forconi, scontri a Torino: un arrestato. "Protesta a oltranza" - Il Fatto Quotidiano". Ilfattoquotidiano.it. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ ""Forconi" in sciopero, proteste e disagi Scontri a Torino, 14 agenti feriti - Tgcom24". Tgcom24.mediaset.it. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ a b "7 cose sulle proteste dei "forconi"". Il Post.
- ^ Di Caterina Giusberti (2013-12-14). ""Politici a casa e giunta militare": la rabbia dei forconi modenesi - Bologna - Repubblica.it". Bologna.repubblica.it. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ Massimo Solani. "Neofascisti e ultrà con il popolo della rabbia". L'Unità. Archived from the original on 2013-12-14. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ "Clashes with fans as Pitchfork protests enter third day". Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata English. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ Cinelli, Antonella (2013-12-12). "Italy's 'pitchfork protests,' in fourth day, spread to Rome". Reuters. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ "'Pitchfork' protests reveal economic frustration in Italy | The Stream - Al Jazeera English". Stream.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ "Cos'è e cosa vuole il "Movimento dei Forconi"" (in Italian). IlGiornale.it. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ "Forconi, divisi verso le elezioni regionali Da Forza Nuova a Crocetta, o in solitaria". CTzen. 2011-11-07. Archived from the original on 2013-12-12. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ "Sicilia - Elezioni Regionali 28 ottobre 2012 - la". Repubblica.it. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ Nome *. "I Forconi che ci piacciono | L'intraprendente". Lintraprendente.it. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ "Il falegname con il mito di Putin e gli altri capi della rivolta". Archiviostorico.corriere.it. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ "I Forconi in strada: invaderemo Roma". Archiviostorico.corriere.it. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ "Forconi, Tir e autonomisti Il popolo degli arrabbiati - Corriere del Veneto". Corrieredelveneto.corriere.it. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ "I Forconi preparano la fase due: A Verona e Mestre contro Equitalia - Corriere del Veneto". Corrieredelveneto.corriere.it. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ "Coordinamento Nazionale - 9 dicembre 2013". 9dicembre2013.it. Archived from the original on 2013-12-09. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ "Forconi, ecco chi è e da dove viene il leader Danilo Calvani". Il Messaggero. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ "Social Justice Protest in Italy Takes an anti-Semitic Turn". Haaretz.com.
- ^ "Italian populist leader slammed for Jews and money slur". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2013-12-15. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ "Forconi, il movimento si spacca Chiavegato: no "marcia" su Roma - Corriere del Veneto". Corrieredelveneto.corriere.it. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ "Chiavegato: "Il 9 dicembre è morto. Ora, si pensi solo al Veneto"". L'Indipendenza Nuova. Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2014-04-02.
- ^ R. Pol. "Indipendentisti, blitz all'alba: 24 arresti Sequestrato 'tanko', in manette Rocchetta". Corriere del Veneto.
- ^ "Faccia: "Sono un prigioniero di guerra" E Chiavegato inizia lo sciopero della fame". Corriere del Veneto.
- ^ "Faccia: "Sono prigioniero di guerra" Tutti gli altri in silenzio davanti al gip". ilgazzettino.it.
- ^ Andrea Priante. "Scarcerati Rocchetta e Chiavegato Il riesame: cade l'accusa di terrorismo". Corriere del Veneto.
- ^ "La Nuova di Venezia". La Nuova di Venezia. Archived from the original on 2014-04-29. Retrieved 2014-04-29.