Immigrant workers in sixty Italian towns will strike today in protest at recent racist attacks, exploitation and inhumane working and living conditions. Their aim is to show that immigrant labour is essential to the Italian economy and they will hold demonstrations in town centres, along with Italians who support them. Immigrant workers in France, Spain and Greece will strike and demonstrate simultaneously. In London there will be a protest outside the Italian Embassy.
Different activities have been planned in the sixty towns, reports Corriere della Sera: in Varese an ethnic lunch will be offered to prison officers; in Trieste the immigrants will spend the day removing racist graffiti from public buildings; Bologna is hosting an exhibition of photos of the faces of immigrants; and in the squares of Milan the public will be able to have foreign language lessons. At 18.30 yellow balloons will be launched in the main squares of all the participating towns.
The day was the idea of Francesca Terzoni, who founded a facebook group supporting the immigrants. The group now has around 50,000 members. The immigrants’ action has the support of associations such as Legambiente, several trade unions and some political parties. Giuliano Cazzola, the vice-president of the Commission on Work of the Chamber of Deputies, has said that he supports the strike. He adds that he hopes that it will make the national community aware that there is no alternative to integration.
“Tangerines and olives don’t fall from the sky” is a statement from the Rosarno workers who were moved to Rome following attacks and riots in the Calabrian town in January. Part of it reads:
“We say we are part of the economy life of this country, but the authorities don’t want to see or listen to us. Tangerines and olives don’t fall from the sky. They are in the hands of those who pick them.”
Would you support the immigrant workers in their action?
