Chronicles of ordinary racism 2011 - Cronache di ordinario razzismo
Chronicles of ordinary racism 2011 - Cronache di ordinario razzismo
Chronicles of ordinary racism 2011 - Cronache di ordinario razzismo
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After an animated <strong>di</strong>scussion at a city council meeting, the motion presented by<br />
Francesco Villani <strong>of</strong> the People <strong>of</strong> Freedom (Pdl) party to restrict the number <strong>of</strong> street<br />
vendors is rejected. Accor<strong>di</strong>ng to the councillor “we need to consider that tourists only<br />
tolerate the phenomenon up to a point and that, on top <strong>of</strong> this, there are hygiene and<br />
sanitation issues to consider.” The Arci association remarks: “Villani’s ‘bathers versus<br />
street vendors’ equation belongs to a political culture inspired by the Northern League<br />
that borders on the barbaric. The municipality cannot and does not wish to act as a beach<br />
ranger which hunts down immigrants selling their merchan<strong>di</strong>se along the seafront. The<br />
flipside is represented by the state <strong>of</strong> immigrants’ rights, something which does not<br />
seem to overly concern Villani; he forgets that our Constitution guarantees the right <strong>of</strong><br />
asylum on Italian soil to foreign nationals, accor<strong>di</strong>ng to the con<strong>di</strong>tions established by<br />
law.<br />
Source: Il Tirreno<br />
30 May 2010 Florence (FI), Tuscany<br />
The “Paladar” restaurant, belonging to Francisca Frias, younger sister <strong>of</strong> Mercedes, a<br />
former Prc (Communist Refoundation party) MP, is under siege: first a car is set on fire<br />
in the courtyard <strong>of</strong> the restaurant, then there are episodes <strong>of</strong> vandalism, smashed<br />
windows, threatening and insulting emails and all kinds <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong> damage. More than ten<br />
incidents are reported. The woman, 44, born in Santo Domingo, states: “I’m afraid these<br />
episodes may be rooted in <strong>racism</strong>. I’ve been living this nightmare for three years. I don’t<br />
think I have got in anybody’s way with my business. At first, I presumed they had it in<br />
for me because <strong>of</strong> my sister’s political activity. But I’ve since <strong>di</strong>scarded that theory as<br />
well.”<br />
Source: La Nazione<br />
4 June 2010 Palosco (BG), Lombardy<br />
The municipality refuses residence to a Pakistani man aged 28, Ashraf Tahir, on the<br />
basis <strong>of</strong> a decree issued by Northern League Mayor Massimo Pinetti, which establishes<br />
that an immigrant must declare an annual income <strong>of</strong> at least €5,000 in order to obtain a<br />
residence permit. In 2009, the man had lost his job and earned under the required<br />
amount. The issue is raised by the provincial secretary <strong>of</strong> the Fiom Cgil union: “This<br />
ruling is unlawful and we denounce the situation, in the knowledge that the number <strong>of</strong><br />
immigrant workers who risk fin<strong>di</strong>ng themselves in a <strong>di</strong>fficult situation owing, in part,<br />
to this type <strong>of</strong> decree, is extremely high. We will pass on a letter to the mayor, the head<br />
<strong>of</strong> the police and the prefect, in which we stress the <strong>di</strong>scriminatory intent <strong>of</strong> this decree.<br />
Law 286 <strong>of</strong> 1998 clearly states that when an immigrant is in possession <strong>of</strong> a regular<br />
living permit, income restrictions can no longer get in the way <strong>of</strong> his signing on at the<br />
local registry, in the whole <strong>of</strong> Italy”. One year later, the Court <strong>of</strong> Bergamo allows the<br />
appeal filed for by Ashraf Tahir and suspends the ruling.<br />
Source: BergamoNews<br />
13 June 2010 Turin (TO), Piedmont<br />
Jorgovanka Nobilini, a young Roma woman, goes to the market in Via Di Nanni with<br />
her sister Ramajana and her cousin Ornella in order to beg – the activity which<br />
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