Italy won't be a joke to the rest of the world anymore

Hundreds of Italians took to the streets across London yesterday, demonstrating against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

The protest ‘Se non ora, quando?’ (If not now, when?), designed to express the frustration of those Italian people and especially women, who are asking what it will take for the PM to resign, was organised by a group of Italian protesters, who call themselves ‘Il Popolo Viola London’ (the Purple People London). The group was established in 2009 and has since organised marches against the Italian government.

During the last few years Italy had sadly become a joke to the rest of the world because of the allegations surrounding Berlusconi: sex with underage prostitutes, after-dinner sex games better known as ‘bunga bunga parties’, and corruption.

Over 400 people gathered in Richmond Terrace, in front of the English PM headquarters in Downing Street, where the Purple People introduced a speech on the conflict of interests, the link between Mr B. and the mafia, the resigned attitude of many Italians towards their Government and the sexual exploitation and negative feminine image.

Francesca Gioia, 35, is one of the numerous women protesting to defend female dignity and is also an active member of the Purple People London. “Our goal is to support thousands of protesters who marched today in the main Italian cities. We all share strong feelings and innovative ideas as the march ‘If not now, when?’ is linked to ‘Wake up Italy’, a protest against our government as a whole,” she said.

Protesters from all over Italy joined ‘Il Popolo Viola London’ in Richmond Terrace; Francesca Sironi, 25, works in the English publishing industry and believes that the representation of women in newspapers, advertising and television has become indecent. She was holding a sign reading ‘I am a woman, I am not an ornament’. “We are fed up with all Berlusconi’s scandals. Everywhere in the world people laugh at the Italian government,” she said.

Roberto Pagani, 42, is another Italian living in London. He works in finance and is often embarrassed about his origin country’s PM. While showing a sign reading ‘Italy deserves much better than bunga bunga’, Roberto said: “Egyptians have triumphed over Mubarak dictatorship, while we still cannot get rid of Berlusconi.”

After having gathered in front of Downing Street, protesters marched through Trafalgar Square and Green Park, to eventually stop at Grosvenor Square, in front of the Italian Embassy. The protest ended with slogans saying ‘Enough’, ‘Berlusconi resign’ and ‘We want a country that respects women’ and people singing the Italian hymn ‘Fratelli d’Italia'.

Coordinated demonstrations against Berlusconi took place in more than 230 Italian cities as well as 28 cities worldwide, including Paris, Barcelona, Prague, Athens and Bruxelles. More than a million people in the world, counting Italians and local supporters all together, had turned out in disagreement towards Mr B. public image.

The Italian version of this article is available on:
http://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2011/02/15/contro-la-derisione-dell%E2%80%99italia-nel-mondo/92195/