Sardines in the square in Rome, Santori: "We brought energy from below"

• La Sardine in piazza in Rome. Challenge to politics, no to party symbols
• Sardines, the 4 'founders' of Bologna: "Our squares are anti-fascist and will remain so"
• Florence, the Sardine people fill Piazza della Repubblica for Salvini's arrival
• Rimini, still a challenge in the square between Salvini and the sardines
• Crowd of "sardines" in Modena

Share

There is above all the people that in recent years have given rise to anti-fascist demonstrations and for the rights among those who gave birth to Piazza San Giovanni in the first Roman Sardine demonstration, a month after their first appearance in Bologna. Several thousand people gathered on the lawn in front of the Basilica, among them the tricolor Anpi handkerchiefs, many old people, several children and the inevitable sardine cards cut out with the words "Roma non Lega".

Young people go hunting for a selfie with one of the movement's spokesmen, Mattia Santori. "We have brought energy from the bottom up to politics, it will be up to politics to understand", explained Santori. Meeting with Conte? "Yes, but it is still early for that phase. We are still working on the organization of the squares," he told those in the square who asked him if he appreciated the prime minister's interest and if he asked for a meeting. "We appreciate the attention of institutions, but now we are focused on Calabria and Emilia. Then we will see".

Among the protesters appeals against "the strong man" alone in power, "whoever it is" and then rumors "against the policies of Matteo Salvini" but also disappointed "by a Democratic Party no longer on the left" and by the M5s who " since he governs he has lost his roots ".

"Rome does not bite", "Finally 'nagioia". These are the messages printed on the sardine-shaped cards that animate the event which was attended by people who also came from other squares in Italy. "Rome does not bind", the manifesto of a lady. There is talk of 100 thousand people in Piazza San Giovanni, many who have come from outside the region. According to the Rome Police Headquarters, there are about 35 thousand participants in the event.

"We decided to take back the anti-fascist square of San Giovanni", the speaker of the event began from the stage, introducing Carla Nespolo , president of Anpi, as the first speaker: "Hope is the word that unites us. Fight and hope, future and present to be improved. A great breath of hope and democratic commitment has come from you. I hate the indifferent, and I want to say it loud: the Anpi is with you, the partisans and the partisans are with you "he said. The Piazza delle Sardine then sang 'Bella Ciao': "Now and always resistance" the activists shouted after the partisan song. It was therefore the turn of the Hymn of Mameli, also transmitted by the loudspeakers. "Enough racism", some African boys sing as "black sardines".

"I am Nibran, I am a woman, I am a Muslim and I am the daughter of Palestinians. To those who want to reopen dark pages of history I say 'you will never have it, we will not allow it," said a girl with a veil from the stage, after reading together to others some articles of the Constitution. "Obviously this will not please Salvini and Meloni ...", he said.

It was then the turn of Pd MEP Pietro Bartolo . "We are the partisans of 2020, we must resist. We cannot have our Constitution and our Europe taken away, which must put man at the center," he said from the stage in Piazza San Giovanni. From the migrant doctor in Lampedusa, an intervention largely focused on the rights of migrants and the request to cancel the security decrees, "shameful laws that are not present anywhere else in the world," he said. "They say that I am the doctor who did the most cadaverous inspections in the world, I am ashamed of this record. It is no longer possible to bear all this. There are no laws that criminalize those who save people, these laws go against the Constitution. These laws I'm a disgrace. "

Santori: here are our proposals, we do not replace politics
The Sardines do not want to replace politics or those who do "fight from below". Mattia Santori said this from the stage. During his speech he also illustrated the "proposals" of the Sardines, in fact an anti-Salvini manifesto. "We run a single risk - he explained - that the Sardines are the solution to all ills. We do not want to replace any movement of struggle from the bottom or the politicians" added Santori, arguing with those who spoke of Romano Prodi as a true inspirer of the movement: "There is no organization, despite all the money that Prodi gave us, people came here out of his own pocket ... This is spontaneous participation. When the beast of populism comes to campaign in your territory you have two choices: hold you or lose yourself. The piazza in bologna has sent a precise message: here you don't pass ... ".

Santori has listed "six proposals", which are in many cases critical of Salvini.

"We demand that those who have been elected go to institutional settings to do politics, instead of campaigning permanently".
Second, "we demand that anyone who holds the office of minister communicate only on institutional channels ".
"Third, we demand transparency in the use that politics makes of social networks , both economic and communicative".
So, "fourth point, more difficult: we demand that the world of information protect, defend and approach the truth and translate all this effort into messages that are true to the facts".
The fifth point is that " violence is excluded from tones and from the contents of politics in all its forms, and I would add: it is the moment that verbal violence is equated with physical violence".
Last point "we ask to rethink the security decree . We need laws that do not put fear at the center".

Here the square protests, many say that "rethinking" is too little. Santori interrupted, then continued: "I'm saying it ... Repeal, ok! Laws that focus on the desire to build an inclusive society, that see diversity as wealth, not as a threat". Santori concluded: "We in institutions want to believe in it and we hope that with our contribution as citizens, politics can improve. Politics is participation, today you are doing politics".

Organizers: today in 33 cities in Europe and in the world
"33 cities in Europe and the world. Sorry if we were in four cats ... December 14, 2019 #ilmondononabbocca # 6000sardine". This can be read in a post published on the Sardines Facebook page, with some photos of the initiatives organized on the same day. Also in different cities abroad, from Paris and Bordeaux, in France, in Dresden, Germany, up to Brussels, in Belgium.

Rays: beautiful party of people, Rome does not bind
"It's nice to see so much citizen participation in San Giovanni. Thanks to the Sardines for the energy that they brought to our city and making this day a 'party' of the people #RomaNonsiLega". writes the mayor of Rome, Virginia Raggi, on Twitter.

Zingaretti: thanks to the Sardines for making Rome so beautiful
Nicola Zingaretti says "thanks" to the Sardines. The Pd secretary, on Facebook, writes: "Thank you for making Rome so beautiful, for the passion you put into it, to ask so strongly for an inclusive and healthy political idea. Beautiful proposals that you have launched, we will do everything to implement them and live up to your commitment, let's change it together, our beautiful Italy ".

Renzi: congratulations to the Sardines, the square is not just for Salvini
"The sardines have achieved a powerful political result: they have shown that the squares are not just for Salvini. And they have reawakened the desire for politics of so many respectable people" the leader of Italia Viva writes on Facebook. "Now - he adds - the challenge is to go from protest to proposal. It is not easy but it is fundamental. For now: congratulations to the organizers. There is nothing more beautiful than a future to write".

Calderoli: it is the usual soup, or rather fish soup
"Are Sardines in Rome today in the streets with members of the Democratic Party and the Left? In the face of the new advancing ... We have gone from those who wanted to open the Parliament like a box of tuna with Sardines in red sauce or better soaked with the Democratic Party "says Roberto Calderoli (Lega), vice president of the Senate.

Gentiloni Tweet: Italy has awoken

Italy has awakened #Sardine pic.twitter.com/n0uzIAtSNJ