The centre-left Democratic Party (PD) has sounded an alarm over an alleged resurgence of Fascist sentiment in Italy after a neo-Nazi shot and wounded six migrants in Macerata in revenge for the murder and dismemberment of an Italian woman allegedly by a Nigerian drug pusher.
Some extremists have defended the shooter, Luca Traini, who has become a hero of sorts among far-right groups like Forza Nuova and CasaPound.
In the mainstream, anti-migrant League leader Matteo Salvini and centre-right Forza Italia leader Silvio Berlusconi have linked the attack to allegedly intolerable levels of illegal immigration and vowed to deport over 600,000 illegals.
On Wednesday a PD heavyweight, Transport Minister Graziano Delrio, told left-leaning daily la Repubblica that "those who justify incidents like the one in Macerata throw open the doors to a return of Fascism".
CasaPound is set to stage a demonstration against immigrants in Macerata Wednesday afternoon, although the mayor, Romano Carancin, has called for a halt to all demos.
Meanwhile another PD heavyweight, Justice Minister Andrea Orlando, visited the two of the wounded migrants who are still in hospital.
He also met prosecutors investigating the racist shooting and the murder of 18-year-old Roman recovering drug addict Pamela Mastropietro.
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