The left and the radical chic especially advanced this notion in establishing the Segre Commission. Liliana Segre, an Italian Holocaust survivor has meanwhile indicated that she would be willing to chair a parliamentary “anti-hate committee” against conservatives she had proposed.
But in condemning hatred, the leftists have attached the worst labels to the leader of the League, from “disgusting” to a person “instigating violence”. They allow themselves the use these kind of words and phrases against Salvini as if everything was granted to them because the leader of the League is – in their opinion – a monster.
They seem oblivious to the fact that they have been at the forefront of spreading hatred – from the posts on social media to death threats, Matteo Salvini is often seen hanging upside down.
To date, this issue of leftwing incitement has not yet been answered in Italy, but maybe a peculiar Neapolitan “artistic” exhibition will finally be able to move the public debate on the matter.
This week, in Naples, the collective exhibition Virginem = Partena, curated by Biancamaria Santangelo, was inaugurated in the Nabi Interior Design gallery in via Chiatamone. In fact, among the various sculptures, there is one that is quite shocking: That of a Salvini armed with a huge gun.
And not only is the figure of Salvini armed, but he is shooting at… two zombie immigrants. The icing on the cake is the title of the sculpture: La pacchia è finita! This is a phrase that often occurs in the speeches of the Northern League leader. Translated it means: “The free ride is over!”
This sculpture was made by Salvatore Scuotto, from the Scarabattola group known for making some of the most creative nativity scenes.
The artist implicitly seems to be framing the former Interior Minister as a murderer. “I got tired and I put everything I feel into these sculptures. When they invited me to the show I didn’t want to participate, then I announced that I would deliberately create something disturbing and the owner of the space, Bianca Santangelo, gave me maximum freedom.”
Scuotto, while not denying his message, admits that “it is too much”.
He explains: “While I was putting together my contribution I looked at it and said: ‘What did I do?’, But instead of stopping I went to the bottom of the idea I had.”
He says that he gave birth to this mass hatred felt by leftists when Salvini was still Minister of the Interior, “then he eliminated himself”.
Scuotto added: “I wanted to represent him as a big boy who plays a video game populated by ghosts, as can be seen from the details of the gun that is intentionally disproportionate. I say that his political message is childish, like a constant play station in which we must identify the enemy and bring him down.”
The artists said that he felt like an “anarchist, I don’t even believe in the left, its too lukewarm”.
Salvini also commented on this sculpture. “What will they do next for some publicity, what filth? The ‘sculpture’ that represents me while I shoot immigrants is a real piece of crap, it is an instigation to hatred and violence, not art.”
The leader of the League said that he rather looked forward to returning to the capital of Campania “to admire the fantastic traditional cribs, not this rubbish”.
In an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera, Liliana Segre complained that she was currently living a life that she had never imagined, after she had received “hate” messages. But it has since been revealed that the number of so-called “hate” messages was a hoax.
Segre had called for a parliamentary committee to investigate “hate speech, racism and anti-Semitism”. The vote passed with the abstention of right-wing parties. Segre recently said that she would be willing to chair the committee. But on her meeting with former deputy premier and League party leader Matteo Salvini, she claimed that “we opted for confidentiality to prevent exploitation for political ends”. It is clear that Segre does not want to make public their discussion.
The Senator said “if you end up at age 90 being targeted by insults and under police escort, I think it is normal to ask why should I even bother. But I do not give up easily.” She was only given the police escort after the hoax became public.
The tension between the M5S party and the Northern League has meanwhile been rising ahead of the regional elections in Emilia Romagna in January. The result of this electoral consultation could decide the fate of the government and that of the entire majority and could even lead to an early vote.
Beppe Grillo and Luigi Di Maio are in opposite camps on certain policy issues and they have split the base. Thus, the war that the M5S have declared on Salvini is a way to desperately unite their voters and is apparently destined to last for a long time.
According to Grillo: “We act as a link between a dangerous right and a left that must be formed. Of projects together with the left I talk about huge projects, about transport, about how to move things, about cities, it’s a magic moment”.
But Salvini attacked Grillo openly: “Grillo is no longer laughing, poor thing, it’s painful.” The clash between the Carroccio and the Five Stars has thus been announced.
Salvini added: “Grillo and Di Maio stole a dream from millions of Italians, selling off the change in exchange for a few seats offered by the PD. Many voters and many elected officials have noticed, the League is also a community open to them, determined to continue on the path of change, in Italy and in Europe. Never with PD, where there is consistency above all.”