The university in the Abruzzo region called it “a very serious case of racism”. The female student was rejected by potential roommates because she is foreign and non-white.
The black student, enrolled at the University of Teramo, was looking for a place to rent to attend university courses, but she claims that she was “insulted and rejected” by possible future roommates, and unsettled by the silence of the landlady. The colour of her skin and her being foreign, were the only two reasons, she says.
The white Italian students denied her a place to sleep, she claims. The “serious episode of racism” has been denounced by the University Union coordinator (Udu) and member of the Board of Directors University of Teramo, Gianmarco Piovan. The case was raised by Piovan.
“It happens in our city, in Teramo, where a student in seeking a place to rent to attend university courses, she has been insulted and rejected by future roommates because of colour, in the presence of the disturbing and powerless silence of the landlady “.
“We trust that all the authorities in every field shall intervene to ascertain and condemn the transgression. As an association, we are evaluating the initiatives to be put in place to combat certain phenomena. We want racism and fascism out of our cities and banned from our universities ,” Piovan said.
“As soon as we are informed of this racist and fascist episode”, Piovan noted, “we worked with the University bodies in charge, whom we thank for the availability, and with whom we will continue to work to ensure that what happened does not happen again and never again will be repeated.”
The Union, meanwhile, announced their participation, on Saturday, February 24 at the event “Never Fascism”, which will be held in Rome.
“In the same way, we trust that all authorities, in every field, will intervene after what happened to ascertain and condemn the responsibilities of those concerned. As an association, in full respect of our Constitution and in particular of Article 3, we recognize ourselves in the values of anti-racism and anti-fascism, also present in our statute.
“For this reason we are considering to put in place initiatives aimed at combating certain phenomena. We will continue to carry out our awareness activities on the theme of immigration and diversity education. Interaction and integration are essential values for our society, we can not and do not want a dramatic return to the past.”
Piovan said “education and the University must instead be a bulwark in the training of young people” similar to the march “in Macerata on 10 February”.
Meanwhile in Palermo, four Nigerians were convicted of forcing women into prostitution using voodoo rites on Monday. The men came over on migrant boats.