Posted on July 14, 2022

Hundreds Including Children Attend Neo-Nazi Festival in Italy

Veena Nair, Siasat Daily, July 12, 2022

The city of Verona, famously known as the home for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, was host to a two-day Neo-Nazi festival on July 9, 10.

The festival, organised by Italian identitarians and Hammerskins, was attended by hundreds of right-winged extremists including women and children.

Events such as football, music concerts, and several workshops were conducted.

The event was highlighted by investigative journalist Fabian Eberhard who posted pictures of the event on his official Twitter page.

He wrote, “The event is highly problematic: It serves as an international networking opportunity for the scene. And an even bigger festival is planned in Verona for September.”

Model city to far-right extremist

The world knows Verona as the city of love.

But according to Eberhard, organisations like CasaPound, Fortezza Europa, Forza Nuova, or Veneto Fronte Skinheads make the city a center of right-wing extremism. “And the authorities often just watch the events without intervening,” he tweeted.

This 2018 article references how Verona local council passed a law legalizing anti-abortion laws.

The next year, the city hosted the World Congress of Families (WCF) which had members who supported anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQIA+ laws.

According to local journalist Giulia Siviero, the city has been long hijacked by far-right and religious movements but it has been gaining national momentum only recently.

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