Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – Milan's long weekend begins today, Friday, October 23, with a demonstration outside San Vittore prison in solidarity with the youths arrested for last weekend's riots. The weekend, which will culminate on Saturday the 24th, will continue until the 30th, the day of the general strike called by the grassroots unions.
The first meeting is Friday evening, outside the prison. The goal of the "anti-repression committee" that organized it is to express "our deepest sympathy and solidarity to those who are in prison for rebelling against this system."
Let's make our voices, our chants, our anger, and all the noise heard by those locked up, and let's make them feel that they are not alone," is the exhortation circulating among social centers and anarchist groups.
The day to circle in red, however, is Saturday the 24th.
Mayor Giuseppe Sala has been repeating since the beginning of the week that "there is concern," although no marches or demonstrations have been announced yet, and in any case, they would have been unlikely to be authorized in the city center after last weekend's guerrilla warfare. The well-known gathering of anarchists in Conciliazione has been canceled. This, however, doesn't mean that the groups, coming from Milan and other cities in Northern Italy, won't be in the square.
The decision to cancel the march, in fact, "is not a step backwards," but was instead motivated by the goal of "avoiding fragmentation of the squares," given the coincidence with the probable gathering of young people and very young people in Piazza Duomo.
Although the chats that proliferated before and after October 17 spread conflicting messages, the most common summons is to Piazza Duomo at 15 pm. There, but not only there, the police will be waiting for them, supported by the five hundred Folgore soldiers sent to support them from Siena.
"It seems to us that the interest lies in repressing any form of demonstration," say the student groups, who will not be in the square on the 24th. "It's a complex date; there's no public call, and no matter what stance we take, we don't feel there's any room to move past it," explains Giano, from the Deriva group, before the student group coordination meeting in the public gardens on Via Palestro. The meeting's goal is to prepare for the general strike on the 30th, "a date on which we, as Generation Z, must be present," also in an effort to "transform this feeling of anger into something that makes us protagonists," in short, "to work on the politicization of this discontent."
In an emergency situation that can evolve easily, it's too early for those managing public order to focus on the 30th. This weekend remains the priority, amid fears that the anger of young people will once again spill over into the city center, where they could also count on the support of anarchist fringes more accustomed to rioting. Beyond the police, the clash could also involve far-right groups and factions, who have promised on social media that they will come to Milan to protect it from the "maranza."
The demonstration called by the 'Insurrezione Italica' page after last weekend's guerrilla warfare has been canceled because "the necessary conditions to ensure the initiative's proper and responsible execution are lacking." "Any individual, group, or organization is strongly advised against taking to the streets without the necessary communications and without complying with the instructions of the competent authorities," the statement announcing the cancellation of the demonstration explains.
Luxury shops on Via Monte Napoleone are preparing for the weekend, fearing further clashes and damage following last weekend's incidents in the city, when several incidents of vandalism and looting occurred. Images obtained by Adnkronos reveal that some businesses are preparing to install plywood panels on their windows to cushion potential impacts and limit the risk of glass breakage.
Como business owners are concerned about potential riots on Saturday, October 24th, even though law enforcement is urging people to remain calm. According to AdnKronos, several WhatsApp chats are sending messages to arrange a meeting on Saturday at 15 pm in Piazza Vittoria. The goal is to loot shops in the city center, similar to what happened last weekend in Milan.
Concern is also widespread among residents, so much so that signs have been posted in some apartment buildings announcing that "doors will remain closed" over the weekend. Mayor Alessandro Rapinese also spoke out. "Shops will remain open; life must continue as normal, of course," he told Adnkronos. "I am in direct contact with the prefecture and police headquarters. We are ready. We have the utmost confidence in the institutions we represent, in this case the Municipality," he added.
According to reports, discussions are underway between traders' associations and law enforcement.
News
webinfo@adnkronos.com (Web Info)