Anti-fascist demonstration in Rome, Italy today

This music video says about itself:

The song “Bella ciao” was sung by the anti-fascist resistance movement active in Italy between 1943 and 1945. The author of the lyrics is unknown; the music and spirit of the song is based on a folk song sung by rice-weeders on the River Po basin in the early part of the 20th century — “Alla mattina appena alzata”.

A version of this song was recorded for music researchers by Italian folk singer Giovanna Daffini in 1962. Other similar versions of the antecedents of “Bella ciao” appeared over the years, indicating that “Alla mattina appena alzata” must have been composed in the latter half of the 19th century.

The earliest written version is dated 1906 and comes from near Vercelli, Piedmont. Another interpretation of the melody has been given following the discovery in 2006 by Fausto Giovannardi of the CD “Klezmer — Yiddish swing music” including the melody “Dus Zekele Koilen” played in 1919 by Mishka Ziganoff.

By Rob Wells:

Saturday, February 24, 2018

Leftists in Rome to protest against the rising tide of fascism

LEFTWINGERS will rally in Rome [today] against the rising tide of fascism in the country, after police attacked an anti-fascist protest in the city of Turin yesterday.

[Today] afternoon’s “No more fascism, no more racism” demonstration is expected to be large, and follows several incidents of fascist shows of force and physical violence in the run-up to the general election on March 4.

Workers have been urged to mobilise for the rally by trade unions and other groups, including the country’s main CGIL confederation, partisans’ association Anpi and the Communist Refoundation Party.

CGIL general secretary Susanna Camusso told the Trade Union Review magazine that the fascists had been fuelled by the fallout of capitalist globalisation which had “generated inequalities even in places where the inequalities [had been] progressively reduced.”

Ms Camusso said that it was urgent that the state use provisions in the constitution to ban Italy’s growing mob of fascist parties, which have gone largely untouched for decades.

Communist Refoundation Party national secretary Maurizio Acerbo said that the ruling Democratic Party had not “lifted a finger” to stop the fascists.

“Only by rebuilding a popular left of opposition to neoliberal policies imposed by the European treaties and by centre-right and centre-left governments can racism and fascism be countered”, he said.

Tomorrow’s demonstration follows a march in Turin by 500 anti-fascists against a rally by the far-right CasaPound outfit last night.

Police surrounded the hotel in which the fascists were meeting, and tried to drive off the protesters using water cannon and tear gas.

The same night, fascists torched a social centre in Brescia, northern Italy. Organisers at the CSA Magazzino 47 centre say rightwingers broke in through the window and doused the interior with petrol before setting it alight.

The final opinion polls before the March 4 election, published last week, showed that a right-wing bloc cobbled together by convicted fraudster Silvio Berlusconi held a clear lead.

Many of its constituent parties hold positions previously advocated by smaller fascist groups, with the Northern League vowing to deport half a million immigrants.

A strong result is expected for the Five Star Movement, which has called for “more tourists, fewer migrants.”