Italy’s anti-Far-Right Movement launches demonstrations across Italy

Summary:

After the official election campaign for the 2020 Emilia-Romagna regional election was opened on 14 November by the League where Matteo Salvini presented the centre-right candidate Lucia Borgonzoni, a demonstration was organised in Bologna to peacefully protest against Salvini's campaign. The protest was launched through the movement named "Sardines". Since, the movement gathered in many cities to protest against the far-right.

Further information:

The "Sardines" movement began when four friends invited people to join a protest against Salvini’s League. The call was made a few days before the far-right with Matteo Salvini was due to launch the campaign in the sports arena in Bologna on 14 November. The sports arena had a capacity for 5,700 people, therefore, the purpose was to attract more people than that number. 15,000 people rallied at Bologna’s Piazza Maggiore on that day. Then, the Sardines converged in other Emilia-Romagna cities before spreading across Italy.

On 14 December, tens of thousands of people gathered in Rome against right-wing populism.

News

The Guardian, 19/11/2019: 'Sardines against Salvini': Italians pack squares in protest against far right https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/19/sardines-against-salvini-italians-pack-squares-in-protest-against-far-right

Reuters, 20/11/2019: Italy's anti-Salvini 'sardines' movement spreads, plans more protests https://www.reuters.com/article/us-italy-politics-sardines/italys-anti-salvini-sardines-movement-spreads-plans-more-protests-idUSKBN1XT2H6

Politico, 26/11/2019: Sardines put the squeeze on Salvini https://www.politico.eu/article/sardines-put-the-squeeze-on-matteo-salvini-league-italy/

BBC News, 03/12/2019: Italy's Sardines push back against Salvini's nationalist tide https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-50631217

The Guardian, 13/12/2019: Sardines squeeze into Italian cities for biggest anti-Salvini protests yet https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/13/between-five-rocks-and-sardines-protest-groups-take-to-streets-in-italy-matteo-salvini

Euronews, 14/12/2019: Thousands of Italy's anti-Salvini "sardines" protest in Rome https://www.euronews.com/2019/12/14/watch-live-italy-s-sardine-movement-set-for-protest-in-rome

The New-York Times, 15/12/2019: Italy’s New ‘Sardines’ Movement Packs Piazzas to Protest Far-Right Leader https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/14/world/europe/italy-sardines-salvini.html

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Commentary and Analysis

The Local (Italy), 20/11/2019: 'Enough hate': Who are the protesting 'Sardines' packing into Italian squares? https://www.thelocal.it/20191120/enough-hate-who-are-the-sardines-packing-into-italian-squares-to-protest

Reuters, 24/11/2019: A can-do challenge? Italian 'sardines' take on Salvini https://www.reuters.com/article/us-italy-politics-sardines/a-can-do-challenge-italian-sardines-take-on-salvini-idUSKBN1XY0BM

The Guardian, 27/11/2019: The Guardian view on Italy’s ‘Sardine’ movement: politics with panache can defeat the hard right https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/27/the-guardian-view-on-italys-sardine-movement-politics-with-panache-can-defeat-the-hard-right

Deutsche Welle, 30/11/2019: Italy: 'Sardine' movement against Salvini https://www.dw.com/en/italy-sardine-movement-against-salvini/a-51485881

Euro|topics, December 2019: "Sardines" making waves in Italian politics https://www.eurotopics.net/en/230732/sardines-making-waves-in-italian-politics

Euronews, 20/12/2019: Italy's 'sardines' have bigger fish to fry https://www.euronews.com/2019/12/20/italy-s-sardines-have-bigger-fish-to-fry

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