Messina rebels against the Strait Bridge: from university professors to Cavalli’s stylist. “The great work is a calamity like drought”

“We want water from the tapno to the Bridge over the Strait”: this is the chorus that accompanied the long procession against the great work in MessinaSaturday’s demonstration took place through the streets of the city center and ended in Piazza del Popolo. At least 2 thousand people they marched to ask for “infrastructures that guarantee minimum services such as water”, he explained Daniel Ialacquaof the No Ponte Capo Peloro movement. In fact, Messina has started a few days ago alternate day delivery which worsens the rationing of a few hours a day that is a constant in the water service of the city of the Strait. The drought has in fact only aggravated a situation that in Messina is very precarious and that after the dramatic crisis of 2015, when the city was completely without water for twenty days, has never been remedied. “We are here despite the government amendment that affects who wants to express their dissent against major works. An ad hoc rule that aims above all to deflate the dissent against the Bridge over the Strait: we are also here to guarantee those spaces of democratic participation that the government wants to close” he explained Gino Sturniolohistoric organizer of the No Ponte demonstrations and former city councilor. Yesterday’s march was organized by the No Ponte Network and saw the compact participation of all the movements born against the great work. All to ask that “the Stretto di Messina Spa should be closed. Definitely. It had been put into liquidation but never extinguished and this allowed the government to restore the old project from 2011 with a procedure that we consider completely illegitimate”, added Sturniolo. Also marching was the former mayor of Messina, Renato Accorintiwhich in 2004 gave the go-ahead to the protest climbing on the Torre Faro pylon (the seaside village where the pylon is planned on the Sicilian side) with the first No Ponte poster: “They want stop the wind with your hands: being fascist is exactly this, going with an iron fist against the sacred right of the freedom of ideas”, Accorinti said.

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“Another demonstration that keeps the ranks of all the movements united – he underlines Aurora Notarieslawyer and activist of the WWF – and which stigmatizes not only the uselessness of this work but the real needs of the territory, such as the need for water. Just think that this year in Sicily there is a 40 percent reduction in tourism, which is our real resource, to the advantage of places like Croatiathe Greeceplaces reached mainly by traveling by plane. We need to invest in ports and airports: the bridge is just a game”.

“Not only poor infrastructure and drought, even the bridge is a calamity“, this is one of the slogans displayed on the posters by the Teachers No Bridgethe acronym of the university professors who for the first time parade in a demonstration against the great work. “People have the power, the Strait of Messina is untouchable, stop the evil bridge”, instead shouted from the microphones at the head of the procession a member of the Freedom Flotilla Coalitionan international solidarity movement, which landed in Messina, as the only Italian stop, on Handalathe boat with which they will set sail to challenge Israel’s naval blockade. “Stop the genocide. Free Palestine”, the protest against the bridge was joined by the one against the war between Israel and Palestine, signs against the Israeli government also marched through the streets of Messina. The stylist from Messina also marched against the great work Fausto Puglisicreative director of Roberto Cavalliand the lawyer of Savior Purse, Fabio Replies. The demonstrations against the major project will continue on August 24th and 25th at Horcynus Orca Literary Park with a two-day review organized by the Youth No Bridge Coordination and promoted by No Ponte Capo Peloro Committee and from No Bridge Coordination. “Two days of concerts, readings, exhibitions, debates and assemblies to remind the city of the potential of creativity and the experiences that pass through it”, explain the “Giovani No Ponte” in a note. ” Annari students – they add – is the question to ask to those who want bulldozersthe slogan to respond to those who think that this is just abandoned land”.