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Today in Rome the greatest italian anti-racist demonstration up to now led 200,000 people to the streets, from Piazza della Repubblica to the stage in Piazza Bocca della Verità. A demonstration to say no to the Security decree that criminalizes immigrants, no to rejections of refugees, illegal under any rule of international law, not to the Centers for Identification and Expulsion where innocent people can be kept in jail for up to six months.

No to racism that is increasingly becoming the norm in this country, with constant violence favored by criminal, false and irresponsible political propaganda against immigrants. Now in Italy there are 4 million immigrants and yet may lose their residence permit and are imprisoned if they lose their jobs or simply work illegally, thanks to the laws of the center-right government.
Opening the parade, a large banner saying "No to racism, no to the crime of illegal immigration". Great the participation of immigrant communities that have come to Rome from all over Italy. On the street images of "San Papier (without documents in French), protector of immigrants", small inflatable dinghies with slogans such as "Maroni (the interior ministers) on rafts" and "No to refoulement, as well as the image of a big wave accompanied by the words "We reject racism" and classic slogans such as "No one is illegal" and a phrase from the Gospel of Matthew that says "I was a stranger and you welcomed me", supported by another banner that read" Jesus is here, where is the Church?". Many people have marched with the T-shirt designed by cartoonist Staino of L'Unità newspaper with the writing "And now condemns me too."
The anti-racism march was joined by the parade of Rome students  and attended by more than 400 lay and Catholic organizations, many opposition politicians, and on the stage in Piazza Bocca della Verita spoke among others the president of Arcigay Aurelio Mancuso, the editor of l'Unità newspaper Concita De Gregorio, the italian jew actor Moni Ovadia, Haidi Giuliani and Don Tonino dell'Olio of "Libera", the anti-Mafia association. 
"In the culture of this government there are intolerant and xenophobic components. It is no coincidence that they rejected the bill against homophobia and they made a law to reject also those who may have access to asylum," said Moni Ovadia.
The event far exceeded the 150,000 people who attended the anti-racist demonstration on October 7, 1989, the first in Italy, organized after the murder of Jerry Essan Masslo, an immigrant from South African escaped from apartheid and killed at Villa Literno. "Then racism was only a threat, now is reality - said Filippo Miraglia, of the Immigration office in Arci organization - We think of the future, but the government is telling lies on immigration and we are falling back in the past on this issue."
"A revolt of conscience against the night of our democracy, against racism, homophobia, intolerance which seem to have become acceptable in our society including in the language of the political elite," said the leader of Left and Freedom party Nichi Vendola.
Aboubakar Sounahoro, a spokesman for the organizing committee for "October 17", insists on the central point of the mobilization, an immigrant is not a criminal, "The life of a human being is not equivalent to a residence permit. Millions of migrants are discriminated even if they didn't commit any crime, unlike those who do commit false accounting, bribe judges and covers themselves with the law".
For the secretary of the CGIL union, Guglielmo Epifani, "this is a necessary demonstration because there is too much xenophobia in the world of our society and too many political forces flatter these irrational feelings." Piero Bernocchi of Cobas union sees a political strategy to bring the popular classes against migrants in a sort of war of the penultimate against the last. "The country has been reduced in a so vile position also for the war declared to immigrants, who contribute with starvation wages to the development of Italy."
"Italy has lost something extraordinary, his DNA to be able to help people who are in difficulty. We were the people more willing to accommodate, to help. Suddenly we have become dull, gray. The whole issue of security was a cultural operation to find an enemy. There is a bad climate that involves homosexuals too, who sees a danger in anyone is different", said Nobel Prize playwright Dario Fo.

Francesco Defferrari

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