Italy's new fascist-chic National Guard

Mon, 06/15/2009 - 11:15am

The uniforms for Italy's new "national guard" have raised some eyebrows:

The Italian National Guard was launched at a news conference over the weekend, sparking outcry from the center-left opposition, Jewish groups, police unions and others that it evoked Italy's fascist-era paramilitary Black Shirts....

The Italian National Guard uniforms feature an imperial eagle, a symbol often associated with Fascism. In addition, on the armband is a black-rayed sun, or Sonnenrad, an image found in a castle used by the Nazi's paramilitary SS.

The guard was introduced by the right-wing fringe Italian Social Movement at a Milan party conference during which at least two speakers gave the straight-armed Fascist salute....

However, government officials said they would go ahead with legislation allowing unarmed citizen patrols to help beef up security in Italian cities and towns. The plan is part of a crackdown by the conservative administration on illegal immigration, which Italians increasingly link to crime. 

Italian President Silvio Berlusconi is in Washington today for a meeting at the White House. Perhaps President Obama could mention that state-sanctioned anti-immigrant vigilante groups wearing fascist symbols don't really do much for his country's image.

Image: Daily Mail

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so-called "Italian National Guard"

by AndreaM on Mon, 06/15/2009 - 5:21pm

I would like to point out that this "National Guard" have not any officiality. In fact, it isn't yet authorized by the Ministry of Home Affairs (and probably never will be, especially if they insist of taking this name and uniform.
It could be useful to point out that the "party" of origin is not represented (like all far-right and far-left parties) in the italian parliament, and the reported strenght (c. 2000) of this "National Guard" is probably the whole number of the sympathizers.
I agree that vigilante groups wearing fascist symbols don't really do much for my country's image.
That said, the purpose of allowing unarmed citizen patrols to help beef up security in Italian cities and towns is not "anti-immigrant", but against the aggressions to citizens, of wich the ILLEGAL immigrants hold a share not exactly proportionate with their numbers.

I was a policeman in Italy

by maruko on Tue, 06/16/2009 - 1:44am

I was a policeman in Italy for years and i feel very angry because to protect citizens was our and my duty, so i don't understand why citizens should do it by themselves. Is so, Italy doesn't need policemen. And I can say i really don't trust in the "good manners" of Italians, as you can see in the picture. The root of all the political problems in Italy (and this new fascism is a impressive witness) is that during the 2WW the allies did not destroy enough Italy to teach us how fool we were and how dangerous could be foolishness. Look at Japan and Germany. They really are advanced countries facing the real problem of our times. We are just a miserable stage for strange people and the audience is not better. Still fascism... My poor country... your time seems to be over...