A far-right northern Italian
local politician wrote on his Facebook page "kill all these
lesbians, gays and paedophiles" in a post that he later
cancelled amid protests.
Giuseppe Cannata, of the nationalist Brothers of Italy (FdI)
party, is vide president of the city council at Vercelli and a
member of the provincial doctors and dentists guild.
Local gay group Arcigay Rainbow Vercelli called for Cannata's
immediate resignation.
FdI national leader Giorgia Meloni said "FdI distances itself
from the declarations of Vercelli councillor Giuseppe Cannata,
elected three months ago as an independent on the FdI lists, but
never a member of the movement".
"His statements, which are extremely serious, do not reflect
in any way FdI's thinking.
"There is no room for those who write certain things in
Brothers of Italy.
"But we don't accept lessons from anyone, above all from the
(centre-left opposition) Democratic Party (PD.
She cited the case of Bibbiano, a town near Reggio Emilia
with a PD mayor where children were allegedly coerced to say
their parents were abusing them so that social workers could
take them away from their families.
The PD has denied all links to the Bibbiano case.
Cannata told ANSA later: "I'm not homophobic and I absolutely
didn't men to offend anyone. If I have done so, I apologise."
"I'm a doctor, I've always helped everyone and I have very
many homosexual friends who I esteem and love".
He said he would "suspend himself" from the FdI caucus on the
city council until the matter was cleared up.
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