«Irresponsible people, this gesture proves it»- Corriere.it

MASS — A slap to Giuseppe Conte. As soon as he got out of the car in Piazza Garibaldi, yesterday at four in the afternoon in Massa, where his electoral rally was scheduled in stages, the former prime minister and 5 Star president was approached by a man who “pretended to extend his hand” and then slapped him. This is the testimony of the militants of the Movement who, yesterday, awaited the national leader in the Tuscan city for the final sprint of the municipal elections. The attacker, who confirmed what happened, is called Giulio Milani, he is a no vax in turn candidate for city councilor for an opposing list, Massa Insorge.

Close to Conte, at the time of the attack, the Tuscan parliamentarian Richard Ricciardi: «This well-known no vax approached him as if to shake his hand, and while Conte was holding it out to him in turn, the other cowardly slapped him in the face». A version later confirmed by Cinzia Chiappini, contact person for communication of the Massese M5S: “I was a few meters away, I did not see, but I distinctly heard the sound of the slap”. After the gesture, Giulio Milani – continues Ricciardi – “started shouting ‘Dpcm, Dcpm’, he reproached Conte for the lockdown”. The police immediately intervened. And the former prime minister challenged his attacker by offering him a confrontation, after pointing out that his gesture was a coward. Milani himself then tried to minimize: «But what a sganassone, it was a pedagogical slap. I didn’t attack Conte, I simply used the least amount of force possible. Mine was a pat, to notify him of my moral contempt. Mine and millions of people.” Taken to the police station for a few hours, he left before 8 pm without making any further statements to reporters. At the moment, however, he has not been reported, in the absence of a lawsuit from Conte himself, but a complaint could be triggered for the hypotheses of beatings and for article 342 of the penal code, insulting a political body.

After the attack, defined as “undemocratic” by the Tuscan M5S,
Giuseppe Conte took the floor at the rally: «When you assume a government responsibility, you make difficult decisions in times of great difficulty for the whole country, as happened during the pandemic. You cannot please everyone even though you work for the good of all – he warned – The gentleman who attacked me, who is a convinced no vax, demonstrated with his violent gesture that this type of drift is done by irresponsible people. If we had followed their directions today we would be a completely destroyed community.

Dozens of messages of bipartisan solidarity with Conte – who thanks everyone via social media in the evening – starting with the premier: «I express solidarity with the president of the M5S, Giuseppe Conte. All forms of violence must be condemned without hesitation – said Giorgia Meloni in a note -. Dissent must be civil and respectful of individuals and political groups.” The message of the secretary of the Democratic Party, very close, Elly Schlein: «I am close to Giuseppe Conte and I express my solidarity with him and that of the entire Democratic Party community. By using violence one does not affirm one’s own reasons but only one’s cowardice”. The leader of the League, the deputy prime minister and minister of infrastructure are also clear Matthew Salvini: «Solidarity to Giuseppe Conte. Violence cannot be tolerated. Never”.

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