Italy: NO TAV against fascism!

The protest was held in solidarity with the NO TAV movement, and Il Giornale was targeted in particular for its bitter criminalisation of the movement. The protesters distributed leaflets and hung a banner saying “Your progress has killed the sky” (Pretentious, banal and empty: way to go, guys!). According to the group, what’s at stake in the Susa Valley is “an entire social model”:

“The high-speed railway line is not a modernisation project, but, on the contrary, is an illogical destruction of our lands. A united and cohesive people, a strong community, cannot be subdued by any political or economic interest. It’s in the interest of all strong powers to divide, isolate and disjoint in order to exert a better control and favour particular interests” (…mmh, interesting…”strong powers”…like…maybe…you know, fascism??!!).

They also stated the protest was a first step towards a collaboration with the NO TAV movement, after they had been in touch with one of the historical leaders, Alberto Perino, to discuss it. All of this was promptly denied by the NO TAV who first tweeted a short message “No TAV rejects fascism! New Force, Old Shit!” (straightforward and simple sarcasm: this is more the style I love), and then issued a statement on their website www.notav.info:

(…) We who fought against the nazifascist occupation in this valley, and who feel as ours the history of all those who fought against it for our future, can not but see a provocation in this action by Forza Nuova. We therefore invite these sly characters to desist from organising anything else in the name of the NO TAV movement.

Perino himself recorded a short video to respond to Forza Nuova and the accusations, made by the media, of fascist sympathies within the NO TAV movement (Bit rich coming from the media…!!). Sorry, but I can’t find a version with English subs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=y0tn7pEwJok

Original article on Italy Calling here. I'm also on Twitter and Facebook.