Marcinelle anniversary marred by political clash over protest

A political dispute flared in Marcinelle, Belgium, during the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the devastating 1956 coal mine disaster. The event, which claimed the lives of 262 miners, 136 of them Italian, became a stage for a protest against the Italian delegation.

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Marcinelle recalls the duties on workplace safety and the no to exploitation. Thus, the Head of State invites to reflect on the human price that was paid and to act so that similar tragedies do not happen again and urges that the management of migratory flows obey criteria of respect for the dignity of people.

As Senate President Ignazio La Russa began reading a message from Italian President Sergio Mattarella, which focused on workplace safety and respect for migrants, members of the "Antifa" group and some trade unionists reportedly turned their backs. This gesture was noted by Carlo Fidanza, an Italian Member of the European Parliament from the Brothers of Italy (FdI) party, who posted about it on social media, calling it "shameful" and demanding an apology from the CGIL trade union.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni strongly condemned the incident, stating, "Turning one's back during the commemoration of Marcinelle is a serious and shameful act. It is even more serious if those doing it are representatives of an organization whose very purpose is the representation and protection of workers. Marcinelle is not a place for political divisions. It is a place of memory, respect, and dignity of labor."

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Shameful, this morning at Bois du Cazier the representatives of the CGIL turned their backs while Ignazio La Russa was reading the message of the President of the Republic. And they did the same during the speech of the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Antonella Sberna.

However, Maurizio Landini, the secretary-general of the CGIL, denied his union's involvement in turning their backs, countering, "If a certain Mr. Fidanza, to make himself known, has to speak ill of CGIL, I think he has had sunstroke. Because CGIL never turns its back, at any time, let alone in respect of our president."

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Turning one's back during the commemoration of Marcinelle is a serious and shameful act. It is even more serious if those doing it are representatives of an organization whose very purpose is the representation and protection of workers. Marcinelle is not a place for political divisions. It is a place of memory, respect, and dignity of labor.

Later, Vincent Pestieau, a regional secretary for the Belgian socialist trade union FGTB, claimed responsibility for the protest. He stated in Italian, "All the comrades of the FGTB turned their backs because we are against the presence of fascist parties."

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If a certain Mr. Fidanza, to make himself known, has to speak ill of CGIL, I think he has had sunstroke. Because CGIL never turns its back, at any time, let alone in respect of our president.