COMMEMORATION OF MARTYRS CAMERA WORK HOURS-18 DECEMBER 11 DECEMBER P. ZZA XVIII
Loading ... 
The Dec. 18 date is important for Turin. A date that shows how this is a city that has given much to the construction of democratic values and has paid a high price for his vocation.
In December 1922, 50 people died at the hands of fascists: workers, trade unionists, leftist activists, communists. A slaughter and massacre that aimed to strike a popular organization and working against the fascist powers.
The Torino 1922 was a spectator of that tragic event, on the march on Rome, the city will be one of the places where fascism has worked hard and violence since its rise. Indeed, on December 17 arrived in Turin many Groups of black shirts from around the north of Italy. A group of them the same evening attacked a communist tramways, which in an attempt to escape all'assalto, two kills fascists. Take as December 18 1922 The reprisal.
It begins with the arrival of a fifty squadristi headed by Peter federal Brandimarte within the House of Labor in Turin, ongoing Galileo Ferraris. The Royal Guards, in defense of the institution, give way to black shirts and Socialist deputy Vincent Pagello, the railroader Arturo Cozza, restaurants Leone Mazzola, workers Chiolero Matteo and Andrea Chioma and the secretary of the FIOM Peter have beaten Ferrero in the blood.
The end of Ferrero was particularly appalling: the union leader was killed by being dragged to death along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, a truck which was linked to his feet. But by late afternoon that starts the real action that will lead to death the massacre.
The raids of more than 400 fascists to the Communist Circle of Borgata Nice and the Railway Club, led the first death: Carlo Berruti, secretary of the railway workers union.
The "visits" at the homes of known communists, trade unionists and street violence continues without interruption. The retaliation will end on December 20 with the killing of a revolver shots of Evasio Becchio, a young worker for 25 years.
Among the 18 afternoon and evening of 20 will contain more than 50 dead, the coldest at the front of their homes and their families. A tragic story that tells of a city that never bent to the dictatorship but who learned, from the world of work, resist and defeat the resistance with the fascist oppressor.
In an era in which promotes the lightness of politics, national reconciliation accompanied by a creeping historical revisionism, commemorations such as this have to reflect on how it is not possible to equate the antifascism and squadracce fascist.
The workers and trade unionists killed have never had justice; Mussolini signed the decree of amnesty for crimes committed in the name of "national interest". These comrades can not and will not fall into an indistinct grief as some theorized for all deaths of a civil war.
The new generations are often victims of charm and populist easy prey to clichés made of empty slogans, everything is easier from a loss of collective memory that sees everything hazy and indistinct. 
Of this we have witnessed in recent days, has suddenly discovered that there are people who work and who risk their lives for this. But the work is not only an income to survive, the work and its representations damage and identity are vehicle for democratic participation.
E 'by this and why it has managed to build a democratic society and was defeated fascism. It is no accident that totalitarian regimes, all, outlawing representations of the liberal Labor and repress, still in world there are many countries where there is a fierce crackdown by deaths and murders of trade unionists.
Totalitarian regimes with the very idea of social dialogue is incompatible with the established power. In that regard, remember the words of Mussolini, 4 December 1922: "My government is very strong and does not need to search too many signers .... The workers were believed and that he should be able to make foreign national life ... ... If there are minority rebels and partisan who seek to oppose them will inevitably affected. " 
Fortunately, words like these are now not allowed to anyone but the memory loss and populism creeping danger in various forms, to create the ground for regurgitation ideals that many of us believed buried.
The Dec. 18 for Turin should not be a simple calendar date or a Metro station.
E 'with the pride of our history that today we remember and commemorate that date. Not to forget ever.
Turin, 18 December 2007
Davide Franceschini
