October 21, 2021
This article is based on observations sent to me by an academic friend of mine who wants to be anonymous, given the views it expresses in this situation. The reason we publish it here with a few comments and links is that it is obviously a very serious situation in and of itself but also an example of how democracy can quickly be undermined and how nonviolent demonstrations are squeezed out, framed as neo-Fascists and de-legitimated – as is the entire peace discourse in Western democracies (if we can still call them that).
Please note that we update this page and, by October 23, have added a lot of videos at the end of it. And more have been added on November 15.
Press Release
GREEN PASS – Cunial, Barillari: Request for asylum at the Swedish Embassy (Rome), Italians are political refugees
Rome, 16 October “We have requested political asylum at the Swedish Embassy and we will do so also at the embassies of other countries that can still call themselves democracies. In Italy, fundamental human rights are no longer recognized, the right to health, to work, to education, to a home… For this reason, we are asking for asylum as refugees. We no longer feel protected by a State that has showed itself to be a regime that is hostile to its citizens and to the Constitution.”
To make this affirmation are: Sara Cunial, parliamentarian from the Gruppo Misto (Independent Group) and Davide Barillari, Councillor for the Lazio Region, at a sit-in today in front of the Swedish Embassy together with doctors, lawyers, teachers and other professionals.
“We have also asked for a face-to-face meeting with the ambassador to denounce the crimes against humanity that are occurring in Italy.”
Photos available here and here one in a very deficient translation from Italy 24 News.
Following last Saturday’s sit-in in front of the Swedish Embassy in Rome, Cunial and Barillari are calling on all Italians to make the same request for political asylum as an act of non-violent resistance. They say: “Everybody can do this. If you feel discriminated against as a citizen or worker, if you are beginning to feel frightened by the current anti-constitutional direction the government is taking, if you want to have your voice heard outside our country, then you can request political asylum using the online application platform on the Swedish Embassy website.”
The following text is suggested: “I wish to apply for asylum in Sweden because the Italian government is denying my right to work and to every other fundamental right, as guaranteed by the UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, by the Swedish legislation and EU regulations.
In particular, I am seriously discriminated against as “affiliated to the particular social group” indicated in article 36 of EU resolution 2021/953: “It is necessary to prevent direct or indirect discrimination against persons who … chose not to be vaccinated.”
What is going on in Italy?
As of 15 October 2021, to be able to work in the public, private and voluntary sectors, Italians have to have a Green Pass (referred to as the “Super Green Pass” by the Draghi government). In short, in order to be able to work and earn a living, Italians have to be vaccinated (vaccines are “free”) or to agree to have an invasive Covid test done 2-3 times a week at the worker’s own expense.
In short, if you are not vaccinated, you have to pay to work in Italy nowadays! This additional step comes after the enforcement of the Green Pass for cultural (museums, cinemas, etc.) and social (restaurants, bars, gyms, etc.) places, which has been in force for a couple of months now already.
How is this possible when the original purpose of the EU Digital COVID Certificate was simply to help facilitate free movement and travel within the EU?
Indeed, is this Certificate even in its original purpose not discriminatory?
The Draghi government continues to extend the state of emergency so that it can more or less bypass the Parliament and enforce these kinds of discriminatory measures that clearly go against the Italian constitution, against human rights, against the Nuremberg Code, and against European regulations.
None of this is mentioned by the mainstream media in Italy, which continue to be in the government’s pocket, thereby censoring opinions that go contrary to the government narrative and keeping the population in a state of anxiety
Moreover, it is scientifically proven that vaccinated people can still get infected by SARS-Cov 2 and thereafter infect others.
As such the Green Pass has no valid reason for its existence unless its true “raison d’etre” is to auger in the age of the digital identity, including a permanently established vaccination certificate.
The Draghi government has already suggested that unless Italians accept the Super Green Pass, it will openly enforce mandatory vaccination for everybody. Should this be possible in a constitutional democracy, inside a leading EU member? And without wider discussion?
However, this is actually already the case, and the government is clearly trying to avoid assuming responsibility for the many adverse reactions to the Covid vaccines that it would be liable for if it clearly stated that vaccines are mandatory.
Art. I. of Italy’s Constitution says the country is a Democratic Republic founded on work. However, the right to work has been trampled on and the Democratic Republic appears now to be founded on a Green Pass, without which Italians are no longer permitted to work, and, thereby, will no longer be able to feed themselves!
Peaceful demonstrations
There have been peaceful demonstrations against the Green Pass throughout Italy for months now.
However, these have either not been covered by the pro-government mainstream media, or have been played down.
In contrast, the leading mainstream media were ready to relay the violence that occurred in one demonstration in Rome, which it turns out was probably “authorised” by the Draghi government since the fascist elements that infiltrated the demonstration were known to the Ministry of the Interior (some were wearing surveillance bracelets). Also, the opposition party Fratelli d’Italia says it has evidence that the Ministry of the Interior gave the OK for the demonstration to move towards the CGIL (Italian General Labour Confederation) building that was entered by some of the demonstrators, giving rise to suspicions that the Draghi government is wittingly allowing violent elements to infiltrate peaceful protests.
There is widespread discrimination, persecution, repression against non-vaccinated people and people (both vaccinated and non-vaccinated) who speak out against the government.
Doctors, scientists, police officers, teachers, nurses, etc. who speak out against the Green Pass are attacked by the media and the professional bodies they are part of, and are being suspended, struck off registers, etc.
In many cities throughout Italy, there were huge peaceful demonstrations last Friday 15 October 2021, the day that the Super Green Pass came into force. These demonstrations included the peaceful strike by workers at the port of Trieste, which is ongoing, and which this morning (18 October) was met with violence at the hands of a huge squadron of police officers who attacked the peaceful demonstrators with water cannons and teargas and then went as far as to beat some of them up.
The situation is very very serious. I think it is time to ask a few fundamental questions about the extent to which the Covid pandemic can be (mis)used for political control, facilitated through the non-investigating media:
• Why is the mainstream media inside and outside Italy not raising concerns about the tyranny that is underway in this country?
• Why is Italy the only home in the world to such an authoritarian, rights-violating Super Green Pass giving citizens no choice if they want to make a living?
• Why is the European Union silent on this situation in Italy when human rights abuses are being committed on a daily basis?
An observer in Italy
October 18, 2021
I’ve now studied the developments a bit via the media. Given how serious the situation is from the perspective of human rights and democracy, it is indeed amazing how little one can find in the European media. And the two typical perspectives – or framing attempts – are a) that these are just small demonstrations that will soon end and b) that the dissatisfaction with the Super Green Pass is rather much a neo-Fascist thing.
By means of such deception, masses of peaceful non-violent demonstrators are lumped together with neo-Fascism and, thus, the government is right to do what it does, including using water cannons and teargas to disperse demonstrators – and dichotomising/stigmatising the Italian people into two groups: the good vaccinated people and the bad non-vaccinated-sceptical people?
In a country in which very many suffered from the pandemic but received no help from the EU (but from Russia and China), poor people desperately need a job – and the country needs everyone back to work. But these are the conditions if they do not accept the new Super Pass regime: A worker who fails to show a Green Pass at work is considered absent without justification; if the worker shows up anyway without a valid Green Pass, he or she could face fines from €600 euros to €1,500. And sanctions for employers who fail to check employees range from €400 to €1,000.
Call that a squeeze on the poorer segments and for smaller businesses in particular!
Some 15% of private and 8% of public sector workers have no Green Pass, according to a government document seen by Reuters last week. Although these are numerical minorities and a majority of working Italians seem to have accepted the Super Green Pass (voluntarily or because under tremendous pressure), these protesters are far too many to not be of interest to the media – those media that indignantly report on human rights violations and authoritarian government and leaders in Russia, Poland, Hungary, Belarus, Serbia, Iran, China, etc.
There is plenty of human rights warnings about the connections between the pandemic responses and the gross violations of human rights. Here is just one from last year, by Michelle Bachelet, United Nations high commissioner for human rights. And the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law in Lund, Sweden, has just issued another huge report on the human rights implications – and what must be done – of various more or less authoritarian responses to the Covid pandemic.
Finally, ponder this perspective: If Italy today, which other countries tomorrow? And with which “democratic” methods?
Further sources to read and watch
Judge for yourself. TFF is not endorsing everything in these reports or their sources.
Note that in most of the mainstream resources, the peaceful protesters are erroneously associated with various Italian neo-fascist groups and parties. And often the peaceful protests are called riots.
Politico, October 14, 2021
Vaccine rebels vow to paralyze Italy over incoming COVID passport
Euronews, October 15, 2021
Protests across Italy as COVID pass becomes mandatory for workers
Euronews, October 19, 2021
How a COVID pass protest sparked a debate in Italy on its fascist past
ANSA Agency, October 19, 2021
Lamorgese denies ‘strategy of tension’ in handling of Green pass riot
The Local, it, October 11, 2021
Riots put Italian government under pressure to ban neo-fascist groups
ANSA Agency, October 19. 2021
Over 1mn Green Passes downloaded Monday
The Local, it, October 18, 2021
Italy’s workplace green pass protests come to an end as police disperse crowds
Reuters, October 18, 2021
Health pass protest continues at Italian port despite police water cannon, tear gas
The Telegraph, October 13, 2021
Italy’s Jewish community fears rise of the far-Right. Rome braces for extremist violence as groups take advantage of ‘social tensions’ caused by the coronavirus pandemic
Associated Press, AP, October 10, 2021
Calls rise in Italy to ban pro-fascism groups after rampage
Associated Press, AP, and Yahoo News, October 15, 2021
Italy’s president criticizes violent COVID-19 pass protests
YouTube, October 16, 2021
Yet Another Covid Riot: Mandatory Green Pass Triggers Massive Protests In Italy
YouTube –
Various videos the last couple of weeks
Deutsche Welle, October 19, 2021
Footage of protests in Trieste
Deutsche Welle, September 17, 2021
Italy makes COVID-19 pass mandatory for all workers
Telegram
Zainz – Canale Ufficiale
Telegram
La Verità ci rende Liberi
And there are several other Telegram accounts:
Telegram
Mille Avvocati per la Costituzione
Telegram
Sara Cunial
Telegram
Difensersi ora – Avv. Fusillo
Telegram
R2020
Telegram Studi scientifici:
VACCINI e SARS-CoV-2
Telegram
La mia salute non è in vendita
Telegram
Danni Collaterali
Telegram
Stefano Montanari
Telegram
Leonardo Santi
Telegram
Comitato LIBERTA’ DI SCELTA
If you think it is important that TFF brings you articles of this type and do so as an independent observer in times of fake and slanted media coverage, please show it here – thanks!
And with all these mini videos from one and the same day all over Italy, you’ve got solid documentation for the government’s and the media’s assertions that these are violent demonstrators and that the opposition against the Green Corona Pass in Italy is merely Neo-Nazi inspired, infiltrated or organised. Right? 😂
Here is, as an example, CNN’s take on it – which is how you avoid talking about these demonstrations actually being a genuine all-country people’s protest against their government’s extremely authoritarian measures in the name of fighting Covid-19. In other words, the dissolution of what used to be democracy and dialogue.
We salute and celebrate the brave people of Italy who stand up, visibly, for their human rights. Like many others around Europe now – but made invisible by the mainstream media.
