'The best response to any form of intolerance is respect for others', writes the editor of La Repubblica Maurizio Molinari on the newspaper's website after deciding this morning to give up a conference on Mediterranean issues scheduled at the Federico II University of Naples, 'in consideration of the risks to public safety caused - he underlines - by a small group of demonstrators'.
Molinari proposed to meet the demonstrators to listen to their opinions on the war in the Middle East but received a refusal.
'However, I remain open to dialogue with them on any topic,' he adds.
'Today, with great regret, I have chosen to renounce the conference scheduled at the Federico II University of Naples on Mediterranean issues, in consideration of the risks to public safety caused by a small group of demonstrators - writes Molinari on Repubblica.it - After having canceled the event, I proposed to these demonstrators that I meet them and listen to their opinions on the ongoing war in the Middle East and on any other issue they wanted but unfortunately they refused, saying that they were not interested in meeting me and talking to me.'
'However, I remain open to dialogue with them on any topic, in strict compliance with the freedom of opinion guaranteed by the Constitution and the principle of freedom of information which, since its foundation, has distinguished the work of Repubblica and all its journalists.
The best response to any form of intolerance is respect for others', concludes the editor of La Repubblica, who received a phone call in which the President of the Republic Mattarella expressed solidarity with him.
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