by Stefano Secondino Girls and boys from Fridays ForFuture, Greta Thunberg's movement, returned to the streets this morning across Italy for the first climate strike of 2024. As has been the case for a while, environmental claims have been accompanied by political and social battles. This time Palestine took the lion's share: in all the FFF demonstrations Palestinian flags were seen and anti-war slogans were heard.
In Rome, the Fridays for Future march joined in Piazzadella Repubblica with that of the student collectives starting from Sapienza, which displayed a banner "End Fossil War.
Free Palestine".
Also in Milan the Fridays for Future procession was opened by a banner reading "Free Palestine = ClimateJustice". The demonstrators, around 200, stopped to protest in front of an Enel office, a KFC fast food restaurant, a McDonald's fast food restaurant and an Eni petrol station.
A thousand young people marched in Turin behind the banner "Climate Peace Work". Other banners attacked the next G7 Environment G7 to be held in Venaria from 28 to 30 April: "You are seven of us 99%. Against the G7 climate, environment, energy.
Popular demonstration on 28 April in Venaria".
In Florence, the Fridays for Future protest intersected with that of the GKN workers: "From factories to schools, climate convergence", said a banner that was displayed in front of the regional council.
However, the environmental issue remains central. Edoardo Falchini, activist of Fridays for future in Florence, explained that the event was promoted to "remember the urgency of the climate crisis and how little time we have to act. We ask politicians for public intervention on the renewable energy industry and sustainable mobility".
On environmental and climate policies - commented the Minister of the Environment Gilberto Pichetto - "the involvement of young people can lead to making a leap in quality. Participating in change with legitimate protest is important, but participating with the proposal is the most important thing ".
In Piazza De Ferrari in Genoa, grandmother Franca, 88 years old, and her granddaughter Maya, who is 22 years old, met together. "It's a battle that unites us all - said grandmother Franca -: we are in the streets for the climate , for the land, for the seas and for the animals. Defending these things should be everyone's priority duty and right."
In the street with girls and boys we saw trade unionists from the CGIL (the national secretariat joined the strike),Avs parliamentarians (such as the group leader Peppe De Cristofaro) and the candidate of the Five Star Movement for the presidency of the Piedmont Region, Sarah Disabato.