Banner against April 25 in Legnano on the Anpi headquarters, a “democratic and anti-fascist citizen” removes it

A “vile and sleazy” banner, as he called it Mayor Lorenzo Rootagainst April 25 located right outside the city headquarters of the Anpi: it appeared yesterday evening in Legnano (in the Milanese hinterland) and was immediately removed by a passer-by, or rather by “a democratic and anti-fascist citizen”. However, the mayor wanted to publicly stigmatize the incident by entrusting a post to social media: “You can put up a hundred banners: we real Italians will be a thousand in the street to remove them – wrote Radice – Because Italy is anti-fascist. Happy April 25”.

To those a few offensive words drawn in large red and black characters on a white sheet – “April 25th? Sti c….” – the members of the “Mauro Venegoni” section of the Anpi di Legnano also wanted to respond very clearly. “On the eve of April 25, our office was outraged by those who continue to be inspired by fascist ideas condemned by history – reads their note – The offense to April 25 is the offense to the struggle of the partisans who in a unitary way contributed to liberate Italy”. Strengthened by this awareness, “the ANPI and all the democrats will not be intimidated and will celebrate 25 April, Liberation Day, with even more conviction”.

In these hours, messages of closeness and solidarity are multiplying from other sections of the Anpi – among the first those of Rescaldina and Casorezzo – and also from simple citizens outraged by this episode: “I think that all of us who are horrified by these gestures, we have an even greater responsibility to use in our daily lives, with the people we talk to, in our workplaces, the right words that this government hides under the carpet: fascism and dictatorship” wrote one of them.

The CGIL Ticino Olona spoke of a “shameful fascist attack”, reiterating that “it will not be a squalid banner to intimidate the democratic forces of our city. Today more than ever, long live the partisans, long live anti-fascism, long live April 25th”. In recent days the commemorative plaque located in the gardens of via Venezia dedicated to Giovanni Brandazzi, founder of the National Liberation Committee of Legnano, had been vandalized in the city: “We put it back, more beautiful than before, in 72 hours. The best answer to anyone who might think that the memory of the Resistance can be insulted or demolished – Mayor Radice declared on that occasion – And instead you you think it’s cool to vandalize what you find at hand (it doesn’t matter whether it’s a tombstone, a sports field or a playground), I wish you a happy April 25. I hope you will find someone on your way who can explain thanks to who you are today free, even to go around doing this nonsense”.

In the meantime, guarantees the mayor, “thanks to the Anpi, we continue to make memory alive and active with hundreds of children and young people from elementary, middle and high schools. With the ‘Stones of memory’ project we let them touch the places in our city where the history of our Republic was made”.