The glance, objectively, is one that leaves its mark. And it’s not just because of the evocative power of that expanse of torches in the Roman evening. It’s just that there are really a lot of people – over three thousand people, the organizers of the event estimate – paying homage to Alexey Navalny in Capitol Square. Many, and all truly silent when the tribute is called for the dissident killed by “sudden death syndrome” according to the Moscow regime which, after poisoning him, detained him in a Siberian gulag where the temperature drops below -30. Carlo Calenda, ‘father’ of the initiative, hails the bipartisan presence in the square as “uncommon for Italy” and speaks of “an important signal of solidarity for those dying for freedom”.
Of course, the group of protesters who closely mark the leader of the League group in the Senate, Massimiliano Romeo, shouting “shame” also ends up on the notebooks and on the cameras. Just like the representative of the League who holds the line, he responds with repeated “well done, you have made the provocation you had prepared for” and warns “but in this way you are preventing us from demonstrating our solidarity”. A scratch in an evening that all in all unites, without flags. With some distinctions, of course. Trust the declarations of those who participate, or those who take a position with a statement. But a unanimous one in this square with a bipartisan parterre, as they say on these occasions. Here are Pier Ferdinando Casini, Virginia Raggi, Nicola Fratoianni, Angelo Bonelli, Lucio Malan, Tommaso Foti, Raffaella Paita, Teresa Bellanova, Francesco Silvestri, Stefano Patuanelli, just to name a few, and then exponents of the world of information, of civil society. And many, many citizens. Of all ages.
«The boos and insults to Romeo? I’m not happy”, confesses Calenda, recalling that “whoever is here today is to remember a martyr of freedom and since freedom is a universal value it is important to remember him without controversy”. Of course, the Action leader acknowledges, “in Italy nothing can be done together, and this is a good sign.” And Romeo? He speaks of a Russia that «is a country that should be democratic and democratic, unfortunately, it is not» and rejects those who call Salvini and the League into question for relations with United Russia or Putin by saying that «there is no agreement with United Russia and if anyone wants to exploit it, I can say that the past is the past and that, then, there were prime ministers who signed agreements with Putin that made us dependent on Russia. So, in short…”. “We are on the side of freedom – Romeo reiterates – on the side of the West and we are rightly here to testify to it”. Navalny’s blow-up is projected onto Palazzo Senatorio and the event passes by with so much emotion and the usual controversies of the left, which cannot stop at anything.
