Associations call for the revocation of the anti-informal camp order
From Meridionews – The associations, citizens and signatories of this press release are asking the mayor of Catania Salvo Pogliese to revoke order 89 from July 4, in which is outlined “the prohibition of informal camping [bivouacking] especially in the city centre areas, throughout the night, in the open, with seats and makeshift shelters… utilising objects of varying natures, like cartons, blankets, boxes, mattresses…” imposing on those violating the order fines from 50 to 300 euros.
We live in a dark period, characterised by hate speech and openly racist acts. The closure of Italian ports to NGO boats is the latest act of hostility against women, men and children escaping hunger and war, hostility that has caused deaths at sea and the forceful return of centres of torture and detention in Libya.
Order 89 issued by Mayor Pogliese last July 4 inserts itself into this climate of intolerance against women and men, Italian or foreign, the poorest in our society. One cannot, in fact, confront the social malaise of a great proportion of citizens as a problem of public orders or of urban propriety. Catania as a city in the last few years has seen the worsening of situations of absolute poverty, with the growth of social and economic malaise. We are speaking of women and men that live without a home, without work and minimum economic sustenance, often without food and without health assistance, without therefore the most elementary of human rights.
We would think that it is one of the Mayor of Catania’s duties to take responsibility of the opening of new Reception Centres for Italians and for foreigners that live in conditions of extreme poverty, in order to guarantee refuge for the night, the use of hygienic services and a hot plate of food. For this we ask for the revocation of order 89 and the actualisation of a policy of reception and social inclusion as opposed to a policy of exclusion and persecution of the weakest in our city.
We would also like to inform the readers that Tuesday 17th July, at 11am in the seat of Libera-Catania in via Grasso Finocchiaro 112, Catania, the associations signed below will hold a press conference to explain the reasons of our request and announce the next initiatives against racism and in defense of the rights of the most vulnerable women and men.
EMERGENCY GRUPPO TERRITORIALE DI CATANIA, LIBERA CATANIA, C.O.P.E., RETE ANTIRAZZISTA CATANIA, PUNTO PACE PAX CHRISTI CATANIA, A.N.P.I. PROV.LE CATANIA, LILA CATANIA, UDI CATANIA, MANITESE SICILIA, COBAS-SCUOLA CATANIA, RETE WELCOME TO EUROPE, SUNIA CATANIA, LA RAGNATELA, LA CITTA’ FELICE, FEMMINISTORIE, OFFICINA REBELDE, IDEE A CONFRONTO, CITTA’ INSIEME, BORDELINE SICILIA, G.I.T. BANCA ETICA SICILIA NORD EST, AGESCI ZONA ETNEA COMITATO DI ZONA, NON UNA DI MENO CATANIA, COLLETTIVO FEMMINISTA RIVOLTA PAGINA, I SICILIANI GIOVANI, CHIESA CRISTIANA EVANGELICA BATTISTA, VIA CAPUANA, CHIESA EVANGELICA VALDESE, Lucia Sciacca, Luciano Nigro, Maria Di Benedetto, Padre Gianni Notari, Francesco Patanè, Angela Giarizzo, Giuliana Grasso, Giovanna Crivelli, Matteo Iannitti, Anna Marsullo, Irina Cassaro, Sara Crescimone Messina, Giuseppe Castorina, Rosaria Costanzo, Angelo Villari, Concetta Raia, Claudio Longhitano, Giusy Milazzo, Irina Zisa, Concetto Venti, Maria Brunilde Zisa, Davide Carnemolla, Domenico Stimolo, Elio Bosco, Maria Sangiorgio, Ada Mollica, Anna Di Salvo, Maria Luisa Barcellona, Silvia Palermo, Giuseppina Guarnera, Rosario Spina, Nino Longhitano, Giusy Clarke Vanadia, Giovanni Caruso, Giuseppe Maria Andreozzi, Francesca Andreozzi, Maria Teresa Ciancio, Salvatore Blandini.
Press office of the Emergency group in Catania
Translated by Meg McLellan
