Great outrage after scandalous video: Hundreds show Hitler salutes in Rome

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In Italy, videos of a neo-fascist rally in Rome are causing a stir, with hundreds of people raising their right arms in the air and giving the fascist salute at the event in the Italian capital.

The gesture is known in Italy as ‘saluto romano’ (Roman greeting). Although banned in Italy, it is often shown at neo-fascist rallies.

The meeting in Rome took place on Sunday evening, but on Monday the videos spread quickly on social media, sparking outrage across the country. Newspapers such as ‘La Repubblica’ and ‘La Stampa’ published a video of the scene from a bird’s eye view. “Corriere della Sera” published moving images filmed from within the crowd.

People gathered on the anniversary of the so-called Acca Larentia murders. Left-wing terrorists shot two young neo-fascists in Via Acca Larentia on January 7, 1978, and a third later died. Since then, annual commemorations have taken place in front of the former headquarters of the neo-fascist Movimento Sociale Italiano (MSI), a movement founded by fascists and Mussolini loyalists.

Great outrage

The videos show how people, often dressed in black, responded to the call “For all fallen comrades” with the cry “Presente!” (in German: present) respond and raise their right arms in the air in a fascist salute. After three repetitions of the greeting, the group disperses. A few hours earlier, an official commemoration event with the President of the Lazio region, Francesco Rocca (58), took place at the same location.

The incident sparked widespread outrage among left-wing groups and the opposition. “Rome, January 7, 2024. And it feels like 1924. What happened is not acceptable,” social-democratic opposition politician Elly Schlein (38) wrote on social media – referring to Italy under fascist dictator Benito Mussolini (1883–1945). ). She called on the right-wing Italian government of Giorgia Meloni (46) to take measures against such incidents. Meloni has governed together with a right-wing alliance since October 2022. Her ultra-right party Fratelli d’Italia is a successor to the MSI. (zis)

Source: Blick