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12 January 2021Lia Tagliacozzo, who lives in Rome, is an expert on Jewish culture and has written books for adults and children.

He toured Italy telling the stories described in his works and received serious threats and anti-Semitic insults by a group of pro-Nazi during the online presentation of his book 'The generation of the desert ", sponsored by the Jewish Studies Group of Turin.



The Tagliacozzo's words after the incident 

"The awareness remains that the one with them is a war and that we have won it, and that we must continue to win it.

Fascism did not die in 1945 and we will have to continue to fight against its ugliness, this is clear to me ".



"I would also like to underline - he adds - that after those two delirious minutes that saw these vile and cowardly haters as protagonists, the presentation went on naturally. With more people than before. This is how we must see this story, looking ahead, with the awareness that we must continue to fight and win this war ". 



"With civil resistance, as opposed to their violence. Without fear, even if they can fear it. They are violent, intrusive, mean. But we are many more and stronger. They have killed families like mine, but we are still here. A to fight fascism. Forever ".

Tagliacozzo then said she was surprised by the online blitz.

"I really didn't expect it, I was quiet at my house in Rome, and I didn't even know anything about this type of attack over the air. On the other hand, the network is the mirror of the real world, it means that we will equip ourselves well here too" . 



The episode is not the only one.

In recent months, always in the same way, three other cases have been reported in Turin, again at presentations of cultural initiatives. 



The pain and anger of the writer's children

In a post by Sara De Benedictis, the writer's daughter, published on Facebook after the online incursion with racist and anti-Semitic threats, we read: "It had already happened to me to find myself in situations of tension and also of confrontation with fascist and neo-Nazi groups. This time it was different. This time it was aimed precisely at me, precisely at 'us', for being Jewish. What happened shocked me. Today my heart is breaking , from anger ".

The book tells 'the generation of the desert', which tells "stories of families, of the just and infamous during the racial persecutions in Italy".

"I want to share my disgust with respect to what happened - writes Sara De Benedictis.



The other son of Tagliacozzo, Daniele De Benedictis, also wrote on the social networks. Remember that grandfather Fernando also took part in the online meeting:" I was worried and sorry for him - he writes - but he was worried about us.

My sister and I did not have to undergo the deportation of a father and sister, little Ada, 8 years old.

My sister and I didn't have to hide to survive, he worried about us, because we had never suffered the Nazi and fascist heat on our skin, what could a couple of keyboard fascists do to him?

(...).

The enemy is out there, sneaky and disgusting, our duty, as human beings, is to fight him ".



 Anpi:" Solidarity "to Lia Tagliacozzo for vile outrage immediately 

" Firm and indignant condemnation "of the Turin PNA for the online aggression suffered by Lia Tagliacozzo on the occasion of the presentation of her book. "The episode demonstrates a very active presence of fascist and Nazi organizations, with operational offices in our city, structured by centers of interest, social and sporting, evidently also operating for aggression online - comments the Anpi in a note - this situation requires a decisive intervention by the competent authorities to put an end to the recurring fascist demonstrations that offend our city, Gold Medal for military valor for the Resistance ".



" To the Jewish Community, the most heartfelt solidarity of the Anpi goes to the Istoreto and the writer Tagliacozzo who keeps the memory of the tragedy of the Shoah alive - continues the

note - once again the Anpi confirms its commitment to obtain the respect and application of the laws that forbid the expression, the apology of fascism and the reconstitution of the fascist party ".