Three months after the attacks against Keshet Italia representatives at the Naples Pride parade, a complaint was filed on Wednesday, September 23, by the Jewish Community of Naples, the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, and the Jewish LGBTQ+ association against representatives of the Transsexual Association of Naples (ATN), Arrevutamm Pride, the Campania Region the City of Naples. With the assistance of attorney Pier Giacinto Di Fiore, the plaintiffs are asking the Prosecutor’s Office to determine who is responsible for the events of June 27, when Keshet representatives were prevented from attending the end of the rally. The complaint alleges a crime under Article 604-bis of the Italian Criminal Code, which punishes discrimination and violence based on race, ethnicity, nationality, or religion.
At the end of the parade, a group of protesters blocked the float carrying the Keshet representatives. They were forced to take refuge backstage, where they were pelted with insults, objects, and liquids. Shouts of “Zionists out of Pride!” prevented them from exiting safely and speaking on stage. Antonello Sannino, president of Antinoo Arcigay Napoli, condemned the violence and reported incidents of shoving, spitting, and removing a kippah from one of the protesters.
The joint statement asserts that the two institutional representatives “failed in their position of guarantee, including towards Jews” by supporting those who prevented Keshet from participating in the demonstration. The circumstances and responsibilities are now under judicial review.
The three signatories of the complaint claim that the Keshet representatives were targeted “solely for being Jewish and displaying Jewish symbols.” In the statement, they appealed to “all political, social, and cultural forces, as well as institutions, to take action against all forms of anti-Jewish hatred,” denouncing a wave of anti-Semitism that “often spreads through violence, as in the reported case.”
(Photo: Sannino’s speech at the end of the Pride parade)