Rome, Oct. 19 (LaPresse) – “First and foremost, they must be condemned, because urban guerrilla warfare can never be justified. We have witnessed intolerable scenes of violence and looting, and we must be unequivocal about this. Public order, citizens’ safety and, therefore, the rule of law must be guaranteed. But this is only one part of the story”, because “this violence has nothing to do with the demands and peaceful, legitimate protests of many young women and men who are telling us how difficult they find it to imagine a future.” This is what journalist and Milan mayoral candidate Mario Calabresi said in an interview with Repubblica. “Does the right see only urban guerrilla warfare? Thinking that protests can be criminalised by lumping them together with acts of violence is a tragic mistake,” Calabresi explains, arguing that “the government should acknowledge the discontent and offer solutions, rather than resorting to mockery, such as calling Milan’s mayor a radical chic. Or blaming the opposition, especially since all I have ever heard Elly Schlein do is condemn violence. Is this a call for responsibility? Yes, to stop playing electoral games. Social distress and marginalisation are real facts; we cannot fan the flames of these divisions.” He adds: “The government should start taking responsibility by trying to provide answers to protesting students, as well as addressing the discontent of truck drivers who are disrupting trade in the South,” Calabresi says, before discussing the attack on the Feltrinelli bookshop in Turin. “What is the political meaning of doing something like that? Because it is a shop window in the city centre, in this case in Turin, and it is perceived as a place that excludes people, a place from which they feel shut out. It is a space for those who are doing well, those who have made it, those who have a job.” According to Calabresi, “for far too long, people have thought that the situation in deprived neighbourhoods could be resolved through security measures alone. And so we have lowered the age of criminal responsibility, considered increasing the number of places in juvenile detention facilities and introduced special security packages. But this will always amount to playing catch-up, because in the meantime the machinery that produces marginalisation, anger and discontent will continue to generate further violence, leading us towards situations increasingly similar to those in the French banlieues.” Therefore, he continues, it is necessary to “work towards the future and restore hope. Alongside public-order measures based on prevention and attention to every warning sign, there must be a far-reaching social effort involving cultural mediators, communities and the families of young people who are detained. Schools must also play a role, with specific training programmes. We must understand that excluding this generation from genuine opportunities for life and work is dangerous and benefits no one.”
Protests, Calabresi: “Violence Must Be Condemned, but the Protest Must Be Heard”
Rome, Oct. 19 (LaPresse) – “First and foremost, they must be condemned, because urban guerrilla warfare can never be justified. We have witnessed intolerable scenes of violence and looting, and we must be unequivocal about this. Public order, citizens’ safety and, therefore, the rule of law must be guaranteed. But this is only one part of the story”, because “this violence has nothing to do with the demands and peaceful, legitimate protests of many young women and men who are telling us how difficult they find it to imagine a future.” This is what journalist and Milan mayoral candidate Mario Calabresi said in an interview with Repubblica. “Does the right see only urban guerrilla warfare? Thinking that protests can be criminalised by lumping them together with acts of violence is a tragic mistake,” Calabresi explains, arguing that “the government should acknowledge the discontent and offer solutions, rather than resorting to mockery, such as calling Milan’s mayor a radical chic. Or blaming the opposition, especially since all I have ever heard Elly Schlein do is condemn violence. Is this a call for responsibility? Yes, to stop playing electoral games. Social distress and marginalisation are real facts; we cannot fan the flames of these divisions.” He adds: “The government should start taking responsibility by trying to provide answers to protesting students, as well as addressing the discontent of truck drivers who are disrupting trade in the South,” Calabresi says, before discussing the attack on the Feltrinelli bookshop in Turin. “What is the political meaning of doing something like that? Because it is a shop window in the city centre, in this case in Turin, and it is perceived as a place that excludes people, a place from which they feel shut out. It is a space for those who are doing well, those who have made it, those who have a job.” According to Calabresi, “for far too long, people have thought that the situation in deprived neighbourhoods could be resolved through security measures alone. And so we have lowered the age of criminal responsibility, considered increasing the number of places in juvenile detention facilities and introduced special security packages. But this will always amount to playing catch-up, because in the meantime the machinery that produces marginalisation, anger and discontent will continue to generate further violence, leading us towards situations increasingly similar to those in the French banlieues.” Therefore, he continues, it is necessary to “work towards the future and restore hope. Alongside public-order measures based on prevention and attention to every warning sign, there must be a far-reaching social effort involving cultural mediators, communities and the families of young people who are detained. Schools must also play a role, with specific training programmes. We must understand that excluding this generation from genuine opportunities for life and work is dangerous and benefits no one.”