About 100,000 people, according to organizers, responded to the call to demonstrate against the security bill. The text, judged “ fascist » by its detractors, aims to penalize forms of political and social protest, such as blocking a road by blocking one’s body. But it extends to other areas, such as banning the sale of SIM cards to migrants.
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Thousands of demonstrators responded to the call of unions, opposition parties, and a myriad of environmental and humanitarian associations, by invading the streets of Rome to protest against the security bill.
This project aims to criminally sanction forms of political and social protest, particularly peaceful. This includes blocking a road with one’s body and other methods that have notably been used as part of the protest against the Lyon-Turin high-speed line. It extends to various areas by providing, for example, for a ban on the sale of Sim cards to migrants. If this text is adopted, some of these new offenses would become punishable by prison sentences.
At the head of the procession, a huge sign displayed a photomontage with Giorgia Meloni kissing Benito Mussolini and immediately setting the tone for this protest. “ This project criminalizes any form of protest, even the most peaceful. We are going adrift! », annoys Franca, a retired professor to our correspondent in Rome, Anne Le Nir. “ This is an authoritarian turn and in a certain way a fascist turn adapted to the third millenniumsummarizes a Roman writer preferring to remain anonymous. This Meloni government continues to reduce our rights, to reduce democracy “, she exclaims.
“An unprecedented attack on fundamental rights and democracy”
Among the new measures, Gaia is outraged by the ban on the sale of SIM cards to people without a residence permit: “ It is a violation of human rights and a fascist measure in Italy, where our Constitution is nevertheless anti-fascist », the precarious teacher gets angry.
Approved by the Chamber of Deputies in September, the legislative text is currently being examined by senatorial committees. It could be definitively approved by the Senate by the end of the year. For the organizers, “ Security Bill Represents Unprecedented Attack on Fundamental Rights and Democracywe can read in a note from the No ddl Sicurezza network (“ No to the bill security », in Italian). It criminalizes dissent, represses social conflict and hits workers, students, migrants and those fighting for social and environmental justice “. “ We defend democracy against those who want to transform Italy into an authoritarian country », declare the promoters of the event. “ There is no security in this bill, only fear of dissent and public squares », they emphasize.
Among the demonstrators was former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, reports the Italian daily the Republic. While he explained that “ this government’s reading of the need for security is completely distorted », a small group of young people passed in front of the leader of the 5 Star Movement shouting “ you’re bad, you were also in government with the League “. The latter is part of Giorgia Meloni’s current far-right coalition.