Beppe Grillo he does not back down from his statements on the stage of the demonstration in Rome: “Make the brigades of citizens, put on balaclavas and at night, without being seen, do the chores, react!”. Words that sparked controversy, reactions and the resignation of Alessio D’Amatoformer Lazio councilor for health with Nicola Zingaretti, who has decided to leave the national assembly of the Democratic Party. The dem group leader in the Senate intervened in defense of the secretary Francesco Boccia: “Let’s not fuel sterile controversies. Elly Schlein will be in every demonstration in defense of work and in contrast to precariousness”. “That’s Grillo’s register. Today Conte is in enormous political difficulty and they called Grillo to help”, the attack by David Casaleggio.
Meanwhile, the guarantor of the Movement makes fun of and posts a photo of a man with an M5S t-shirt and balaclava, holding a sign with the inscription “Citizenship Brigade – Assault Department”. The photo is accompanied by the comments “Brigade ‘Repair of benches’ #brigatedicittadinanza” and “We are waiting for the manhole and sidewalk brigades”.
The man with the balaclava in the photo is wearing a Folgore jacket from the 70s. He has paratrooper insignia on his collar and the symbol of the Pisa paratrooper school on his sleeve.
The 5 Star Movement yesterday returned to the streets against precariousness and to strengthen the opposition to the Meloni government. Themes also shared by the Democratic Party and the Italian Left. Elly Schlein took part in the initiative by passing through Piazza della Repubblica to say hello. Then hug her with Joseph Conte and the guarantee “joining forces for common battles”. But on the Ukraine issue, you are being overwhelmed by criticism from your own party. Then, at the end of the procession, the scene takes it Beppe Grillo. Between jokes and strong phrases, he invites the “sleepers” of the Movement to react. “Start making the brigades of citizenship – he says from the stage to the pentastellato people – disguise yourself with a balaclava and secretly go to do the chores, arrange the sidewalks, the flower beds, the manhole covers, without attracting attention”.
Words that have sparked a hornet’s nest of controversy. The right arises, from Maurizio Lupi of Us Moderates to the League, which defines Grillo’s statements as “serious and disconcerting”. To then launch the provocation to the Democratic Party, who took to the streets to support the pentastellata mobilization. “We ask ourselves – writes Salvini’s party in a note – if even slime be ready to wear a balaclava “. The senator of Italia Viva is also tough Enrico Borgo, who invites Conte to “distance himself from this drift”. It is unacceptable for the former dem to evoke “subversive organizations that have written among the bloodiest pages of the Republic”. Even in the Democratic Party there is some discontent. “A show that doesn’t make you laugh”, the comment of Deborah Serracchiani. Then the farewell of the former councilor D’Amato to the national assembly.
The League wastes no time and returns to attack the dem secretary. “While controversies and even resignations are flocking to the Democratic Party after the disconcerting words of Belle Grillo on brigades and balaclavas, the silence of Elly Schlein which was in the same square as the founder of the 5Stelle. He says if Grillo is a comrade who is wrong. Which side is the secretary on?”, the group leaders of the Chamber and Senate of the League said in a note Riccardo Molinari and Massimiliano Romeo. The Minister of Defense rails against the guarantor of the Movement, Guido Crosetto: “He had disappeared, off the radar. He has little to say and doesn’t care about anything. But he has to earn his party ‘life’. So he invents brigades and balaclavas. So he can go home to Sardinia and leave us to comment. He deserves only indifference and it’s not even funny anymore,” he wrote on Twitter. To the dem, or rather to a part of them, which is also addressed Matthew Renzi. “Delirium of the 5 Stars on the Rome stage. Then I see Elly Schlein chasing the grillino procession and I ask the reformists of the Democratic Party: do you really want to end your political experience like this?” Asks the leader of Iv. “It is a pain to see the Democratic Party, a party that has always guaranteed institutional stability, reduced in this way”, says the national coordinator of Italia Viva Raffaella Shirt.
Try to turn off the controversy, Joseph Conte. “The message from the streets yesterday was very strong. This is demonstrated by the fact, and I consider it a positive sign, that many newspapers and members of the majority have dedicated themselves to an absolutely exploited formula such as that of the ‘citizenship brigades’. As is evident Grillo hopes for active citizenship which is often opposed, let’s think of the gentleman fined for repairing a pothole in the street – specifies the president of the 5 Star Movement during the assembly of the Polo Progressista in Rome – The paradox evoked by Grillo is that today if you want to clean you have to do it clandestinely in a park. But he never spoke of violent actions. Criticisms from those who should be in the opposition are striking. But I think the underlying theme is the Russian-Ukrainian conflict”.
In support of the choice of the dem leader he takes sides Brandon Benifei, head of the Pd delegation in Brussels: “The same exponents of at least formally opposition political parties who in recent days explained to the applause of the right that Berlusconi was an extraordinary leader are now attacking the secretary of the Pd for having participated in a demonstration against the precariousness of the Work”. However, Benifei does not fail to throw a jab at the grillini, also distancing himself from the words of the former Genoese comedian: “A 5-star movement still harnessed by the confused and sometimes misunderstood rallies of Beppe Grillo whose words obviously Elly Schlein cannot answer”, he glosses. “Everyone against Elly. I would avoid leaving the freedom to choose the leader of the opposition to the right,” says the dem Arthur Scott. “Schlein did very well to bring a greeting to the M5S square. We were talking about income and dignity and it was right to be there. Despite the differences. In terms of tone and content”, he explains Francesco Laforgia of the national secretariat of the Pd. “Let’s not feed sterile controversies and the game of those who want to play the crutch of the right in the government. We will never feed the chatter of those who struggle to accept the leadership of Elly Schlein who answers a new question of politics and who today leads the Democratic Party” ‘, he concludes Francesco Boccia.