Free Trieste

ANTISEMITIC ACTION AGAINST FREE TRIESTE’S LEADERS

We are used to be under siege. The local nationalistic “camorra” doesn’t like Free Trieste’s actions in defense of the Free Territory of Trieste, an independent State established at the coming into force of the 1947 Treaty of Peace with Italy. Fascist Italy, the aggressor and loser in that war.

In its three years of life, Free Trieste withstood many obstacles, it did because it stands with the law. Indeed, all of the Movement’s actions have legality as their corner stone in the law. Because the local representatives of the administering Italian Government prefer to simulate Italian sovereignty over Trieste. In breach of Italy’s own laws.

In this 2014, the attacks increased and intensified. To the point in May the Movement was fractured from the inside. Yet, no matter what happens, we stand still, withstanding anything: the popular, law-abiding Movement that protects Trieste and its international Free Port won’t become just another piece of the local nationalistic corrupt politics.

That system uses all means to spread malicious propaganda against us. First in line is “Il Piccolo” the newspaper of choice of the local nationalists and neofascist gangs.

Lately, after the establishment of a separatist organization named “Territorio Libero al cubo” (as in “cubic Free Territory) or “TL3”, willing to run in the illegitimate elections summoned in Trieste in Italy’s name, the attacks intensified.

A propaganda more and more violent, spread on digital and physical media, including a derogatory campaign against me, Free Trieste’s President, and Paolo G. Parovel, independent journalist and director of the Movement’s newspaper (Trieste Libera News).

Since May [2014], we are denouncing how tense and dangerous the situation is to the authorities in charge of law and order in Trieste, which act on the administering Italian Government’s behalf.

What made the situation especially dangerous, was the convergence of interests among the people attacking us and mafia-related interests: in particular, criminal cartels were trying to take hold of the international Free Port of Trieste to dismiss it and, in a speculative operation, urbanize it, making it into a touristic citadel.

We are talking about a billion Euro turnover; Free Trieste is the only obstacle. It is not difficult imagining the stakes and risks.

Yet, the authorities did nothing about the dangerous situation.

The defamatory campaign continued for months. People were incited hatred against us. The Polizia Postale (Postal Police) claimed to have no mean to stop the ongoing lynching on Facebook.

So, hundreds of outrages, insults, defamations, threats, were spread online, and nobody tried to stop it. We soon received death threats, a very alarming signal considering what was going on.

The local press copy-pasted the denigratory claims, only to present us, the victims, as fools the general public could keep on scorning.

As for me, they went as far as attacking me because of a medical condition. Private data was circulated only to discredit me to the public. They did it with no shame, as if they knew actions against me have no consequences. Total coverage, in spite of any law.

But then, again, to this point, we are no longer discussing matters of law. Law is the most far away concept from the evens unfolding in the present-day Free Territory of Trieste.

The persecutors, eager to shut our mouths, have attempted to have the director of Free Trieste’s media, journalist Paolo G. Parovel, expelled from the ordine del giornalisti. Had they succeeded, he would no longer be able to work, since belonging to the professional association is mandatory.

And now, such circles of Italian nationalists and fascist accuse us of being supported and financed by “hateful” Zionists. Here is one of their claims:

 “Tracks of legality in the FTM (Free Trieste Movement) thanks to Masonry and anti-Palestine Zionism it seems a good starting point for an alliance that can bring good results to the cause of the FTT…”.

Source: Facebook.

The lynching continues, uninterrupted and with no consequences for its planners and enforcers. And this means more and more alarming threats and risks for the safety of the targets, since they appear hateful and undefended.

This is how accusations of betraying the cause befell me. Often my family name is mangled into “GIUDASTANTE”.

Of course, the net picked up this derogatory name immediately as part of the viral hate campaign against me. When I reported the derogatory writing linked in the previous article to the authority, their “interest” was below zero. After several months, the offensive writing is still there, almost an advertising: the local police must like it a lot.

The lynching goes on, stronger and stronger, one day after another, from one month to another, wave after wave: a furious, fascist-style assault.

And of course, local newspaper “Il Piccolo” jumped on the bandwagon, missing no chance to cause controversy about the only ones who stand for legality in Trieste.

Even one of Free Trieste’s fund-rising events (our organization is run by volunteers), namely a dinner for the Movement’s members, was turned into a joke. Racist undertones included.

Why? Because in the historic building hosting Free Trieste’s offices, back in the early 1900, when Trieste was part of the the multiethnic Austria-Hungary, there was a kosher restaurant.

The connection is quick: Free Trieste is “sponsored” by Jews, so it carries on the Jewish tradition of kosher cooking. Indeed something the local, nationalistic establishment, with its fascist undertones, cannot stand.

Today, after “Il Piccolo” published the aforementioned derogatory article, we discovered a yellow Star of David glued on our doorbell. On the star, someone wrote “KOSHER RESTAURANT AT PAROVEL AND GIUDASTANTE RING FREE TRIESTE”.

Should we consider ourselves the chosen victims of some unopposed reawakening of anachronistic nationalism with fascist undertones, or do we have the right to defend ourselves?

Translated from blog “Environment and Legality” by Roberto Giurastante

Translation of the article: HERE