Hundreds Of People In Italy Did A Fascist Salute At A Far-Right Rally And People Are Outraged
Hundreds of people could be seen shouting “Present!” in response to someone yelling “For all fallen comrades”, a common rallying cry at neo-fascist events in Italy.
A far-right rally in Italy’s Rome has sparked massive outrage after hundreds of men were seen doing a fascist salute on Sunday, Jan. 7.
The rally was part of an annual memorial commemoration of the deaths of three young members from the far-right Youth Front, a youth wing created by former fascists, in 1978.
The video, recorded by the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, showed hundreds of people repeatedly raising their right arms in a coordinated, straight-armed salute, symbolic of Benito Mussolini’s fascist dictatorship in the early 20th century.
The men can be heard shouting “Present!” three times in unison, responding to someone yelling “For all fallen comrades,” a common rallying cry at neo-fascist events in Italy, according to Reuters.
In Italy, promoting fascism and its symbols, in particular the straight-armed salute, is punishable by up to 12 years in prison, according to Politico.
The video has received public criticism, including from leaders of Italy’s Jewish community.
“It looks like 1924,” Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein said, Reuters reported.
1924 was the year Mussolini won the elections and ended multi-party politics in Italy.
Far-right prime minister Georgia Meloni is also facing mounting pressure to denounce the rally, which was attended by members of her party, the Brothers of Italy.
The incident has also drawn attention to her past association with fascism.
At age 15, Meloni joined a neo-fascist movement created by supporters of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, but Meloni has denied that she is a fascist and far-right.
Opposition leaders in Italy have asked the government to explain why the police did not intervene and called for stricter laws to be implemented to prosecute people who support fascism.
