2014-01-09

Trouble Continues to Brew in France and Italy

I previously posted on The Right Ascendant in France. In that was made mention of an anti-Semitic comedian, now this: French anti-Semitic comedian’s show nixed at last moment
As dueling rulings by French authorities sowed widespread confusion, riot police carrying shields blocked access to the Zenith theater in the western city of Nantes, where thousands of stunned ticket-holders in the nearly sold-out show milled around.


The tug-of-war over comic Dieudonne M’Bala M’Bala involved a multitude of French authorities: the Council of State, the country’s highest administrative body; the city of Nantes; a court in Nantes and Interior Minister Manuel Valls.

Valls wants Dieudonne, as he is known, kept off all stages in France, denouncing what he calls the “mechanics of hate” relayed by the comic.
While the comic is anti-Semitic, he also is anti-establishment and its not altogether clear which is more important for his support.

Meanwhile, in December, Italy saw mass protests.

Italian government feels fury of disaffected as 'Pitchfork' protesters march on Rome
Thousands of people, many of them waving the Italian flag, gathered in Piazza del Popolo, one of the city’s most beautiful squares, which has as its centre-piece a massive ancient Egyptian obelisk.

Amid a heavy security presence, with squads of riot police on standby, members of the grass-roots movement sang the national anthem and held up banners describing Italian politicians, including the coalition government of Enrico Letta, as “parasites”, “thieves” and “criminals”.

“Italy is rising up”, read one placard, while another said: “They don’t let us work, they don’t let us study, because an ignorant population is easier to govern.”

......The Pitchfork movement was founded by disgruntled farmers and truck drivers in Sicily two years ago but has burst onto the national scene this month, holding rallies, blocking roads and railways and calling for the government to resign.

The loosely-knit movement has attracted diverse groups, from pensioners and the unemployed to students, struggling business owners and far-Right groups.

They have railed against not only the Italian government, rising joblessness, zero economic growth and high taxes but also the European Union, the euro and austerity policies.

'Pitchfork' protests rattle Italian government
"There is a violent face (to the movement) that has broken the law: we understand the social unease, but at the same time we do not have any hesitation in saying that we intend to defend the liberty and security of citizens," Mr Alfano told parliament.

In Sicily, one of the protest leaders, Mariano Ferro, said it was unfortunate that some rallies elsewhere in the country had descended into violence, and he blamed right-wing elements for the trouble.

"We are a movement of farmers and lorry drivers who have been calling for years for government intervention against the social hardships wrought by the recession," Mr Ferro said.

"Unfortunately our movement is being associated with hooligans and subversives. We have nothing to do with them and we vehemently dissociate ourselves from the violence occurring in other parts of our country," he told Italy's Ansa news agency.

It has been almost three years since the European debt crisis flared up (ignoring the Cyprus episode that was contained). Mood has only drifted lower since then and the public in Italy isn't going to accept another EU-IMF selected government. In the next round of crisis, the eurozone may very well break apart.

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