Reportage
Liberation Day marches on, no matter what Meloni’s government says
‘We cannot allow the memory of what fascism was to be reduced to a topic to be treated superficially or, worse, to be ignored.’
The government's call for a tamped-down celebration for the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day had the opposite effect. April 25 was celebrated throughout Italy as usual, except for a few suddenly zealous mayors who took the opportunity to fulfill their rather transparent desire to skip the occasion.
That was the case in Cinisello Balsamo where the municipality decided not to let partisan associations take part and to ban all banners at the official commemoration. “It is shameful that the mayor thinks the restraint required in these days of national mourning means suspending the rally of the ANPI [translator’s note: Partisan association],” said Luca Stanzione, secretary general of CGIL Milan. “What is unrestrained is the exploitation of the death of the Pope to obscure the memory of other deaths. I think it is necessary to disobey and hold the rally as scheduled.”
In Foligno, the Belfiore Philharmonic's performance and the speeches in the main square were canceled. The M5S protested against this decision as “it risks compromising the rightful homage to the Resistance. We fear that a clear commitment to celebrating an essential historical turning point for our democracy will be lost.” In Legnano, the authorities decided on silent celebrations, and as a result canceled the Punkreas concert at the Pertini social center. “We are nonetheless putting ourselves in service of defending the celebration, along with the values it stands for, with or without the patronage of the municipality. That is the least we can do to honor those who fought to give us freedom,” the band responded.
Among the majority, there are those who are trying to downplay the statements of Civil Defense Minister Nello Musumeci calling for “sobriety” in the celebrations, such as Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani, and there are those who have doubled down on them, invoking the possibility of tensions within the marches as a pretext to support the government's stance. CGIL union secretary Maurizio Landini also joined the debate, and ended up attacked in unison by FI, FdI and the Lega for saying that April 25 “is not an occasion for drinking, so that we should choose to be sober. It is a day of mobilization, of struggle to affirm the values of democracy and the Constitution. We need to take on the fight against inequalities with great strength.” According to the right-wingers, Landini shouldn’t have used the words “struggle” and “fight,” because they supposedly incite people to hatred.
It certainly cannot be said that Musumeci spoke only for himself: the call for “sobriety” was also in the press release from the Council of Ministers, and the minister himself reiterated in an interview on Thursday that what he referred to as “wild dancing and singing” must be avoided. “Only someone who has never set foot at an April 25 celebration can say such things,” noted PD deputy Anna Ascani. “We do not need of calls for ‘sobriety.’ What we would need is a Prime Minister who would join in this celebration for once.”
Former minister Rosy Bindi, speaking to il manifesto, also thought Musumeci’s call was out of place, detailing her extensive schedule for these days: “I have been to the Pope's viewing. Tomorrow I will give two official speeches for Liberation Day in Siena and Livorno, and on the 26th I will be back in Rome for Francis's funeral. I am committed to sobriety, as long as the center-right also commits to celebrating April 25.” Catholic Action also confirmed its participation in all Liberation Day events: “We cannot allow the memory of what fascism was to be reduced to a topic to be treated superficially or, worse, to be ignored.”
In the capital, there were no changes to the marches planned at Quarticciolo and to the ANPI's traditional one, starting at the Fosse Ardeatine. The plans include an enormous banner for peace with the face of Pope Francis. The Municipality, which had organized a three-day event between April 25-27 on the occasion of the 80th Liberation Day celebration, was expected to suspend only the events scheduled for April 26, the day of Francis's funeral.
In Milan, 70,000 people were expected to take part in the march. Both the Jewish community and pacifist NGOs will be in the streets, with the usual uneasy relations between them: the Palestinian youth have asked that they should be the ones to open the procession, while the Jewish groups responded that they refused to be “intimidated.”
As every year, the ANPI led the march together with the mayors from the city’s metropolitan area. The speakers were to include the president of the Milanese Antifascist Committee, Primo Minelli, Mayor Beppe Sala, partisan Sandra Gilardelli, CGIL secretary Landini and ANPI national president Gianfranco Pagliarulo. Also expected to attend were PD secretary Elly Schlein, Nicola Fratoianni of the Italian Left and Carlo Calenda of Azione.
The il manifesto collective had a dedicated section in the march, with trucks and a sound system.
Originally published at https://ilmanifesto.it/il-25-aprile-disobbediente-cortei-ovunque on 2025-04-25