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09 May 2019The stand of Altaforte, the publishing house close to CasaPound at the center of the controversy, has been completely dismantled at the Turin Book Fair. Near the stand of the Ministry of Defense only the outline of the stand remained.

Poles: "It's an attack on Salvini"
"My statements have been used as an excuse, I have been denounced for a crime of opinion. I am available to clarify my position with the Prosecutor, but I believe that the scandal is the book 'I Matteo Salvini'. It is an attack on the Minister of the Interior, who I don't want to pull on my lap anyway ". So Francesco Polacchi, publisher of Altaforte, the publishing house near Casapound excluded from the Book Fair. "An unacceptable revocation - he adds - we will go through the legal process".

"We want to go to court"
"The stand that we had regularly purchased was revoked as Altaforte Edizioni, we consider this revocation unacceptable and we will take legal action against the Book Fair immediately. We want to go to court". So outside the Book Fair Francesco Polacchi, founder of Altaforte, to the press. "At 10 I will be at the Turin Book Fair to reiterate that Altaforte's logic does not bow to the single thought," Polacchi had announced on Facebook. "If you have freedom of expression at heart - he adds - I will wait for you. Books must not be censored".

The exclusion of Altaforte
The reaction came after the Salone's decision to make the request of the Mayor Chiara Appendino and the President of the Piedmont Region, Sergio Chiamparino, to "revoke the admission to the Altaforte publishing house and the consequent allocation of spaces". On Tuesday, the Piedmont Region and the Municipality of Turin filed a complaint against Poles and the prosecutor opened an investigation into apology for fascism.

Birenbaum: "Thanks for your courageous choice"
"Thank you for the courageous decision that allowed me to be present here." This was said by 90-year-old Halina Birenbaum who survived Auschwitz, speaking at the inauguration of the Turin Book Fair. Yesterday the Polish writer announced her intention to desert the event if the Altaforte publishing house, near Casapound, had not been removed. The Gold Room of the Oval has dedicated a standing ovation to it.

Hanger: "Chosen to be next to those who fight for anti-fascism"
"You know that we had filed a complaint against Poles, yesterday during a mediation meeting we decided, as institutions, to stand alongside those who represent the fight against anti-fascism rather than those who are denounced for apology of fascism". So the mayor of Turin, Chiara Appendino, arriving at the Lingotto at the inauguration of the 32nd edition of the Book Fair. Then: "It is not a recourse against Salvini, it is a choice to protect and protect the Salone del Libro, Turin and our country". "This subject - he added - has announced that he will sue. We will assert our reasons, we will stand by the organizers".

Lagioia: "The question has become political"
"We went in five, six days from a problem of private contracts to a problem of politics. The question from the symbolic point of view had become so great that it is also right that it has passed to the political level and therefore the President Chiamparino and the Appendino they made a political decision. And the way it was, it's the best decision. " This was said by the editorial director of the Turin Book Fair, Nicola Lagioia upon his arrival at the Lingotto on the opening day of the Fair preceded by endless controversies.

Salvini: "Dangerous processes of ideas and book burning"
"Trials on ideas and burning of books are extremely dangerous." Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said it during a rally in Pesaro, about what happened at the Turin Book Fair. "We are in 2019 the censorship of books based on ideas. But the burning and censorship of books has never brought luck. Ideas are answered with ideas not with censorship. In the face of democratic comrades who decide who can go to the Book Fair and those who can't go there, they try to process ideas ".

Chiamparino to Salvini, no censorship
"No censorship, much less the burning of books, as Matteo Salvini evokes". The president of the region, Sergio Chiamparino, replied to the leader of the League. "Perhaps the interior minister would have preferred to be with the fascist editor of his interview and would have left the victim of Auschwitz out - he adds -. But the interior minister a serious government should first of all enforce the Scelba and Mancino laws that apply the Constitution ".

Prosecutor's investigation for apology of fascism
Meanwhile, the Prosecutor of the Republic of Turin has opened a criminal case against Poles for apology of fascism, following the complaint presented by the mayor of Turin and the president of the Piedmont Region, Sergio Chiamparino, on the sentences of Polacchi "I am a fascist "and" anti-fascism is the real evil of this country ". Statements made during a radio broadcast.