The anger of Pride: “They threw away our rights”

TORINO. “Shame, shame.” The choral, angry scream echoes in Piazza Carignano: a message addressed to those senators who drowned the Zan bill, «protagonists – as Alessandro Battaglia, coordinator of Torino Pride shouts – of an indecent spectacle. They didn’t even put their face on it, as we have always done ». Yesterday the LGBTQ + community took to the streets to say enough, to shout that civil society is ahead of politics and that the struggle has just begun: “We are tired of being teased by these people – Alessandro’s harangue from the stage Battle while the sign language interpreter struggles to keep up with his enthusiasm -. You’ve thrown the rights of so many of us down the toilet. You have once again shown that you consider us the last. Now that’s enough, we’re bored ». And he goes further, with a proposal to the center-left parties: “The snipers who betrayed the Zan bill should not be re-nominated.” In the square there were many young people and very young people but also many adults, a thousand people, perhaps more. The anger and the desire for redemption after the scenes of jubilation seen at Palazzo Madama were traced in felt-tip pen on the colored billboards: “You will die out and we will applaud”, read one, in the hand of a girl. “This is the Italy you have ignored,” said another. “Welcome back to 1700,” said yet another. The new mayor Stefano Lo Russo was also in the square, accompanied by the two councilors Jacopo Rosatelli (Social policies and equal opportunities) and Chiara Foglietta (Environment and innovation). A strong signal from the new council, confirmed by the words of the mayor: «Turin is and will remain the capital of everyone’s rights. We will continue to make our voices heard and we will always be against all forms of discrimination and hatred ».

Among the many activists who alternate on stage there is also Marta, a student with disabilities who defines herself as non-binary: “Go on treating us like a fish in the face – she says with a voice broken by emotion – You can also hit us, but you are radicalizing us. You make us louder and louder. We are freeing ourselves and taking back our spaces and it is only the beginning ». The ears of the politicians must have whistled during the two hours of the demonstration. The harshest words are those of Giziana Vetrano (Rainbow Families): “You are the moral instigators of every homo-transphobic aggression, your hands are stained with blood – he attacks – You are out of history: these young people are light years ahead of you and yes they will take everything. ” More than one person under the stage has wet eyes. The most numerous applause comes for Stefano, from Turin who was attacked last summer in Palermo: “Unfortunately, politics has shown itself to be a team of bullies, but we resist together in our struggle”. “Here we are doing true civic education – adds Alessandro Battaglia – what is not done in schools where bullying is born”. Then, before the outflow from the square, another choral scream, as at the beginning: “Shame, shame.” – © breaking latest news