Francesco Giordano, convicted for the murder of journalist Walter Tobagi, marched in Milan on Saturday: “The massacre of Hamas? I don’t only condemn what is convenient for the USA”
“It is absurd to think of wanting to wage war on the Palestinians and then expect to live in peace.” Francesco Giordano, former red terrorist convicted for the murder of the journalist Walter Tobagi on May 28, 1980, was in the front row of the procession in support of the Palestinians last Saturday in Milan which marched from the Central Station to Trotter park. In the hands of the former member of the ’28 March’ Brigade, a leading figure of the extreme left of our country and of the years of lead, a banner with the writing: “Do not finance Israeli apartheid”.
Reached by Adnkronos after the controversy over his participation in the procession, Giordano speaks of a “campaign” against him by the press due to the success of the “wonderful demonstration”. And when he is asked to condemn the massacre carried out by Hamas on 7 October against hundreds of civilians (including many children) the former terrorist does not take a clear position, on the contrary: “You ask me if we should distance ourselves from the massacres carried out by Hamas. My answer is that I am against all killings, not just some. Between Saturday 7 October and 8 October, therefore in 24 hours, 24 young Palestinians were murdered and I have not read anywhere of cries or indignation against the Zionist army. Here you are, if you ask me to report only what is convenient for Israel, the USA, France, Germany, Italy the answer is no, thanks“.
Giordano does not even seem to believe in the distinction between Hamas and the Palestinian people, a distance that is highlighted on several occasions by the Italian government. “There is only one truth: Hamas is part of the Palestinian people who also won the elections in Gaza, a victory that pushed Abu Mazen’s militias to attempt a coup with weapons donated by the Zionists and the USA. On that occasion it was all the people of Gaza who rebelled against that coup attempt”, says the former Red Brigades member.
What do you say to those who argue that Israel has no right to exist and that it should be erased from the map? “Israelis have the right to live in peace, but living in peace means many things: stop arresting, torturing, killing Palestinians, stop bombing Syria every other day too. All peoples have the right to live at peace, therefore also the Israelis. It is absurd to think of wanting to wage war everywhere, first and foremost against the Palestinian people, and then expect to live in peace“, remarks Giordano.
Is the majority of Italian public opinion with the Palestinians or with the Israelis? “I believe that the majority of Italians are against the war and against any abuse of power, unfortunately we too have had and have colonialist and warmongering governments, we too should get rid of this lobby at the service of those who produce weapons, stop being an American colony. We have a Constitution written with the blood of the partisans and thousands of Italians, which they trample on every day. The demonstrations of the last few weeks like the previous ones have always demonstrated what I say”, says the former terrorist.
Should pro-Hamas demonstrations be banned? “Of course everything can be done, they already do it in colonialist France, Germany and England, why not? But would this bring peace? I don’t think so. Italy needs a government that loves its own people and that desires, for those to come, a country free from servility towards NATO.”
After your participation in the Milan demonstration for Palestine, many media outlets recalled your trial past: you were sentenced to 30 years and 8 months, which on appeal became 21 years, for the murder of Walter Tobagi. The connection between red extremism and the Palestinian cause appears undeniable. “The campaign against me was born out of anger at the wonderful demonstration on Saturday, which saw thousands of young and old people in the streets asking Israel to stop the genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza, as well as in the West Bank. It wasn’t a pro-Hamas demonstration: I – Giordano replies – am a communist, but in favor of the Palestinians’ right to live in peace, to have a future“. And finally, on his long legal case, the former member of ’28 March’ points out: “The newspapers didn’t say that among the seven of the small group of ’28 March’ there were two of us who took on the responsibility without asking for discounts of particular punishments, as had been proposed to me by Doctor Spataro. Accepting them would have meant disrespecting the victims and their families.”
The controversy over the presence at the pro-Palestine march
Giordano’s presence at the pro-Palestine demonstration has raised several controversies in the political world.”The presence of the former Red Brigade member Francesco Giordano at the Milan demonstration against Israel, in addition to being very serious, is the clear demonstration of how politics must be united on condemnation without ifs, without buts, without distinction, and without accusations against Israel, of the Hamas massacre, because otherwise we are all weaker. When we denounce the ambiguity of the left and the danger that this double standards leads to accrediting positions hostile to the Jewish world, we do it because we know well that ‘bad teachers’ generate bad students. This is the case of students who praise Hamas in schools, of collectives who march in the streets and attack the police, of anti-Israeli marches, brazenly led by a terrorist. It’s time to put an end to this duplicity. The left should examine its conscience”, said the president of Forza Italia senators, Licia Ronzulli, yesterday.
“Other than pro-Palestine: the presence at yesterday’s demonstration (Saturday, ed.) in Milan of Francesco Giordano, a former terrorist, known for his anti-Israel positions, demonstrates that that square had the Jewish state as its objective. Without prejudice to the law to demonstrate, the matrix of that demonstration is all too clear: condescending to Hamas, viscerally against Israel”, stated Senator Raffaella Paita, national coordinator of Italia Viva.
“The distinctions, the ‘yes, but…’, the ‘neithers’, the completely senseless comparisons between Israel and Hamas – explains Paita – do nothing but poison the debate and try to sweeten what is evident to everyone: Israel has suffered a very violent terrorist attack and has the right to defend itself.”
“The red terrorist Francesco Giordano participated in the Milanese pro-Palestine demonstration. Where has the left gone that calls for privacy, fears dossiers and asks who made the images? After what happened with Iolanda Apostolico we wouldn’t be surprised by anything”, declared the deputy and deputy secretary of the League Andrea Crippa.
Didn’t it make a certain impression on you that there was a former Red Brigade member leading the anti-Israel demonstration in Milan? “Absolutely yes, it will then be up to the police to identify if there is any infiltration: it is one thing to demonstrate, which is legitimate, in favor of the Palestinian people; it is another thing to demonstrate for Hamas and support terrorists”, the words of ‘Forehand and backhand’ by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani,
(Of Antonio Atte)
Source-www.adnkronos.com