Police on Monday put three activists for the far-right CasaPound party under house arrest for allegedly attacking a group of four young men in June because one of them was wearing an 'anti-Fascist' Cinema America T-shirt. The Cinema America association organizes free open-air film screenings in the historic Trastevere district of Rome in the summer.
A warrant signed by a judge said the three suspects, Matteo Vargiu (23), Stefano Borgese (38) and Marco Ciurleo (23), were "already known" to the authorities for their "activism within the ranks of the CasaPound far-right movement". The June attack was followed by one on the former girlfriend of a senior member of the Cinema America group.
Some of Hollywood's biggest names signed a message of support for the group Cinema America after the attacks.
"We want to express all of our support and solidarity to the boys and girls assaulted in Rome, and also to the experience of Cinema America and to all of the youth that create a dialogue between the world of the Art and the people," the message read.
"It is unacceptable that there is still someone that thinks they can impose their view through the use of violence.
"We can't accept a wound of this kind, inflicted not only to the world of Art and Cinema but to the whole world".
The message was signed by Francis Ford Coppola, Alfonso Cuarn, Willem Dafoe, Guillermo del Toro, Stephen Frears, Costa-Gavras, Richard Gere, Amos Gitai, Alejandro Gonzlez Irritu, Jeremy Irons, JR, Babak Karimi, Mathieu Kassovitz, Spike Lee, John Malkovich, Radu MihÄleanu, Keanu Reeves, Paul Schrader, Wim Wenders and Debra Winger.
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