Italy: Black workers attacked
01 January 1991
Italy: Black workers attacked
artdoc March=1993
Organised bands of `naziskins' have attacked black tomato-harvest
workers in Caserta, near Naples, in a raid on a site where a
multi-ethnic community centre, due to be officially opened on 10
September, was being built.
The attack came at the end of a year-long campaign against
black workers, given official support by the neo-fascist
parliamentary MSI party. In one small town in the same region,
eight thousand signatures were collected for a petition to expel
`foreigners'. In another village, Acerra, local residents have
called on the courts to `do something' about illegal
immigrants.`We want to protect our children from the dangers
posed by African immigration', reads one leaflet, going on to
mention rising crime and the spread of infectious diseases such
as AIDS. (II Manifesto 8.9.92).
Violence in Veneto
There has been another weekend of gang violence throughout the
north-eastern Veneto region which is experiencing a spectacular
increase in violent skinhead attacks on southerners, travellers,
drug addicts, refugees from what used to be Yugoslavia, black
people, gays and, most recently, Jews.
At Bassano del Grappa, 40 miles inland from Venice, three
skinheads killed a drug addict who was brutally attacked as he
lay in his sleeping bag outside the town hospital. Twenty miles
further south in Valdagno, five Third World immigrants were
seriously injured in a battle with skinheads.
The Bishop of Vecenza expressed `horror and shame' for what
happened and demanded that steps be taken to prevent further
attacks and that the perpetrators be severely punished. (Il
Manifesto 22.9.92)
Press campaign against `terrorist' immigrants
The Italian daily, II Giornale, has been running a series of
speculative stories, based on police briefings, which express
`grave worries' about the likelihood of a renewed wave of
terrorist attacks in Italy, and speculate that poor Third World
immigrants are likely recruits for far-left terrorist
organisations. The newspaper's evidence of the link between black
radicalism and violent left groups consists of a poster
condemning racism and fascism and giving a list of signatories
that include black community associations, and-racist,
anti-fascist and far-left groups. MEP Eugenio Melandri says it
is `incredible that anti-racists and anti-fascists are being put
in the dock' while the activities of blackshirts are excused. In
Melandri's view, the aim is simply `to criminalize all those who
struggle for immigrants' rights'. (Il Manifesto 31.10.92)
IRR European Race Audit no 1 1992
Contact: Liz Fekete Institute of Race Relations, 2-6 Leeke
Street, London WC1X 9HS. Tel: ++ 071 837 0041