Bologna remembers the massacre; Mattarella: 'Neo-fascist strategy against democracy'

Bologna on Tuesday remembered the 46th anniversary of the devastating bombing at its train station on August 2, 1980, an event that claimed the lives of 85 victims and left an indelible mark on Italy's republican history.

“

The deep mark impressed by the August 2, 1980 bombing at the Bologna railway station is etched in the republican history and in the conscience of Italians.

President Sergio Mattarella, in a message, spoke of the "infinite pain" for the "defenseless victims, women, men, children" and the "anguish" of their families. He stressed that the "neo-fascist strategy of terror" aimed to destroy the values of freedom, justice, and democracy, values that must be safeguarded for the future. Senate President Ignazio La Russa reiterated that judicial truth has definitively attributed responsibility for the "horrible massacre" to a "fascist matrix," calling for continued efforts to uncover the complete truth.

“

The infinite pain for so many defenseless victims, women, men, children; the emotion for the anguish and suffering of the families; the dismay for the destruction brought to the center of the city's civil life and of the entire nation are renewed today, as on every anniversary.

Undersecretary of the Interior Nicola Molteni, representing the government, stated that the August 2nd attack was of "neo-fascist origin" and marked a "date for all of Italy." Speaking in Bologna, he described the event as one of the most painful wounds in the nation's history. Mayor Matteo Lepore called August 2, 1980, the most important day in Bologna's history, a day of death but also the beginning of hope. He asserted that Bologna's democracy has become stronger since the bombing, despite the intentions of those who planted the bomb, with the annual march serving as a pillar of that democracy.

“

It is a consciousness that concerns our community, young people above all. And it relaunches the commitment to safeguard the future to be built on the values of freedom, justice, and democracy. The values that the neo-fascist strategy of terror sought to destroy.

The commemoration included a procession through the city center, with Mayor Lepore and Undersecretary Molteni walking at the front alongside other authorities. Lepore received a long round of applause from citizens, including family members of those involved in the Fakir case, amidst earlier threats related to that matter.

“

It is fitting to remember again that judicial truth has attributed responsibility for this horrible massacre to the 'fascist matrix' with a final sentence. It is equally fitting to join the call from various quarters to continue the search for complete truth. We owe it to Italy.