“It looks like 1924”: in Italy the opposition was outraged after a video with fascist fireworks

The photographs bring back sad memories. Italian opposition leaders on Monday called for the dissolution of neo-fascist organizations after video emerged showing hundreds of people giving the fascist salute at a far-right rally in Rome.

“Rome, January 7, 2024. It feels like 1924,” the time when Italy was led by Benito Mussolini’s National Fascist Party, commented Ellie Schlein, leader of the center-left Democratic Party. “Neo-fascist organizations must be disbanded, as required by the constitution,” she said.

Video taken overnight and published by Italian media, including the daily Corriere della Sera, showed hundreds of people dressed in black lined up and raising their arms three times in a fascist salute, shouting “present”. AFP could not confirm the authenticity of the video on Monday evening.

Complaint from the Five Star Movement

According to media reports, the scene takes place in front of the ancient Roman headquarters of the Italian Social Movement (MSI), the party created by Mussolini supporters after World War II, during the celebration of the murder of two teenage members of that wing. MSI youth, shot and killed on January 7, 1978, during the “Leadership Years.” Responsibility was blamed on the far left, but the investigation did not lead to convictions, and a third member of the MSI youth wing died from a stray bullet wound during the ensuing riots.

Ellie Schlein called on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, leader of the MSI’s post-fascist Fratelli d’Italia party, to condemn the incident. The Democratic Party also called on the government to disband neo-fascist groups and “counteract apologists of fascism by all means.” The opposition Five Star Movement (M5S) intends to file a complaint with the Rome prosecutor’s office, the AGI news agency reports.

In a statement, Fratelli d’Italia condemned its rivals for “using the memory of the tragic death of three boys killed by communist hatred to carry out sinister propaganda.”