A row has erupted in Italy after a TV
current affairs show on Monday night showed footage of a man
demonstrating for peace in Ukraine suggesting he would like to
see Defence Minister Guido Crosetto hurt.
Interviewed among the protesters called out to the streets by
former premier and populist 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader
Giuseppe Conte, who is leading a campaign against further
Italian arms to Kyiv, the unidentified man said "I wouldn't tear
my hair out if something violent were to happen to Crosetto",
the official directly responsible for Italy's military policy.
Commenting on the footage shown on Quarta Repubblica on
Berlusconi channel Rete 4, Crosetto said "they forget that the
weapons sent so far have been approved by five decrees issued by
the previous government of which Conte was the biggest
supporter, with the largest parliamentary group".
Politicians of most stripes on Tuesday voiced solidarity with
Crosetto saying it was unacceptable for the defence minister, a
member of Premier Giorgia Meloni's rightwing Brothers of Italy
(FdI) party, to be subjected to "pacifist violence".
Even Raffaella Paita, Senate whip for the centrist opposition
Italia Viva (IV) party, joined the chorus saying "violence is
NEVER justifiable".
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi issued a "strong
condemnation" of the demonstrator's remark, saying that such
shows of sympathy with violence "must be isolated".
FDI said "we will not be intimidated" in backing the
government's latest decree to send arms to Kyiv for the whole of
next year.
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