[International] Italy's large-scale demonstration on the 30th, student representative: No democracy without conflict

Several left-wing groups that initiated student protests in Italy held a joint press conference with foreign media on the 21st, emphasizing that more people will be called to the streets on the 30th. Student representative Marcon told Radio Taiwan International (RTI) that they will not change their protest methods due to the government's stricter new security law, stating, "Without conflict, there is no democracy." Last weekend, student protests in Italy led to clashes between police and civilians and looting of shops in Milan. On the 20th, the Italian cabinet passed a new security law, introducing the crime of "violent participation in demonstrations" and several penalties. These include preventive detention for minors, responsibility for parents to compensate for damages caused by their children, and the deployment of 500 elite paratroopers to Milan to assist with security. On the 21st, several left-wing student protest groups held a press conference at the Foreign Press Association. Attendees included Sabrina Brizzola, leader of the "National Union of University Students" (UDU); Tommaso Marcon, spokesperson for the "Alternative Student Opposition" (OSA); Francesca Lini, spokesperson for the communist youth organization "Cambiare Rotta"; and Daniele Giannoni, representative of the "Housing Justice Movement" (Piamo Casa). A high school student representative, Damiano Fusa, also attended. Regarding why they took to the streets, Brizzola stated, "Our generation does not feel that the political agenda of the current or previous governments protects us. For decades, politicians have stopped investing in the future of young people." She believes that the wave of protests erupting in various European countries is primarily because governments are planning to increase military spending but are unwilling to invest in education. Good university education and healthcare are increasingly privatized, and job opportunities have become very unstable. "We no longer feel any security." Italian Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto had previously warned that this wave of demonstrations in Europe might be a "hybrid war" against the Western world. Rumors suggested that the riots were instigated by Russia through social media, but Brizzola and other student representatives unanimously denied this at the press conference on the 21st. Italian Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi also stated publicly on the 21st, "There is currently no evidence of foreign interference." In a post-conference interview with Radio Taiwan International (RTI), Marcon stated that the Italian government's passage of the new security law is an attack on democracy and the right to dissent. He argued that without conflict, a country cannot be considered democratic. Schools and society are not neutral grounds; they nurture diverse ideas that must be fully expressed. "Therefore, we completely reject this law; it will not stop us." Marcon explained that the new crimes introduced by the law already existed; the government is merely increasing the penalties. "Because they want to create fear, but this is clearly not a solution; it creates problems." He complained, "There is no dialogue at all now. The government does not listen to young people's opinions, has no willingness to reconcile, ignores protests, and has no intention of solving problems. The government resorts to high-handed tactics, which are not only short-sighted but also oppressive." Regarding the deployment of troops to Milan for security, Marcon described it as a 19th-century approach, when governments would send troops to suppress people stealing bread. He believes this reflects the mindset of those in power. "But even the left-wing mayor of Milan supports the deployment of troops, showing that the political left and right in Italy have reached a consensus on this point." However, some student representatives expressed helplessness that domestic and international media reports on the Italian student protests only focus on the violent incidents. Lini said, "Protests only get attention when windows are broken, but then it becomes a public order issue, leading to escalated law enforcement measures." Lini added that in fact, for several weeks, there have been protests across all sectors in Italy, from north to south. Workers have blocked highways to protest the rising prices of gasoline and raw materials. "But the media only started reporting extensively after the street riots last weekend, which is absurd. It seems the focus of the reports is on condemnation." She urged people to focus on the underlying reasons: "Why are young people and workers taking to the streets across Europe and the world?" The Italian government announced that half of the suspects arrested during the street riots last week were immigrants or foreigners, leading to a surge in "anti-immigrant" sentiment in Italian politics and society. Lini stated that many governments want to create an internal enemy to divert attention from social problems. "The difficulty of immigrant integration" has been a long-standing issue in Italy for decades, and it is a problem that the government should solve, not one created by student movements. She hopes people will not fall into the trap of "hunting for internal enemies."