Bologna Mayor Matteo Lepore on Sunday accused the government of sending what he described as “300 blackshirts” to the city.
He likened the group of far-right activists, who demonstrated in Bologna on Saturday, to the blackshirt paramilitary wing of Benito Mussolini’s National Fascist Party. Lepore, a member of the left-wing Democratic Party (PD), said Bologna instead needs funding to address the recent devastating floods.
“I wonder how it is possible that once again Bologna is not respected,” Lepore stated, following opposing marches held in the city. The demonstrations saw far-right Casa Pound and Rete dei Patrioti members on one side, and left-wing collectives and anarchists on the other. He pointed out that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is scheduled to visit Bologna on Monday, adding, “They sent us 300 blackshirts; instead, we would like to ask again for funding for the flood.”
Lepore questioned the government’s handling of public order, expressing concern over the timing of these events. “Top government ministers and the premier have come in three days, and exactly in the middle the Patrioti CasaPound arrive,” he noted. “Public order should not have been managed in this way. I think the interior minister owes an explanation to the city of Bologna.”
The tension between demonstrators and authorities was evident on Saturday as anti-riot police clashed with participants in an anti-fascist march organised by left-wing collectives. The demonstration was held in opposition to the nearby far-right rally involving Casa Pound and Rete dei Patrioti groups. The two opposing gatherings took place just a week before the regional elections in Emilia-Romagna, scheduled for November 17-18.
The presence of the far-right activists, coupled with the heavy police presence and subsequent clashes, has heightened concerns over Bologna’s public order management.
