Rome: Let us speak. Demonstrators of Forza Nuova put pressure on La7

About thirty militants at the entrance to the TV studios, several inside. Stopped by the police. The refusal of the anchor-man Giovanni Floris (DiMartedi) to admit uninvited guests

Around thirty militants of Forza Nuova, on the 20th February 2018 arrived at the entrance to the television studios of La7 where the programme DiMartedi was being recorded, asking to participate in that edition. Several demonstrators succeeded in getting in to the studios. A few hours before in Palermo a representative of the movement had been assaulted. At the scene of the attack the police intervened and identified 20 individuals. Corriere.it reported it on the 21st February 2018 (see here).

The demonstration ended peacefully after the presenter of the programme, Giovanni Floris, refused to allow individuals not invited by the production team to participate in the programme.

The following day, Floris recounted the events and commented that they had had an intimidatory aspect.

“Towards midnight,” Floris wrote, “a group of individuals arrived. They were around twenty. They described themselves as Forza Nuova and had Forza Nuova insignia. They wanted to participate in the programme. This was not possible neither technically (at that moment a pre-recorded contribution was being transmitted) nor for reasons of suitability. We don’t broadcast who hasn’t been invited, far less if they present themselves in that way. Whilst maintaining that the way in which they presented themselves is not acceptable, the confrontation took place in a non-violent atmosphere. After having put forward their reasons, they allowed themselves to be accompanied to the exit.”

Solidarity with Giovanni Floris – the programme’s presenter – and condemnation of the event have been expressed by FNSI, by Usigrai, by the Roman Press Association and by the national association of journalists (read here) who have announced that they will draw the episode to the attention of the Ministry of the Interior.

The precedents in Lazio – From 2011 until today, in Lazio, Ossigeno has identified 720 serious violations of press freedom and freedom of expression committed by acts of violence and abuses towards journalists, bloggers, video operators, photo-journalists and editors whose names are published in the Observatory Table. In 2017 141 names have been added to this list.

This episode is included in the statistics of intimidations of media workers of Ossigeno per l’Informazione.

DB- COA (wt)