A-Infos (en) Anti-Shroud demo banned in Turin

["Peregrine (David)" <Peregrine@cybergal.com>]

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Press release (slightly shortened) sent in by
Turin section of the Italian Anarchist Federation (FAI).
Translated by David <peregrine@cybergal.com>
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            “Serious violation of freedom of expression.”
  Demonstration against expenditure on display of Turin Shroud banned
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  In Italy, freedom of speech is something stuck on banners and waved 
about on official demonstrations, or else a privilege of the few.  It 
does not apply to views that come from places other than the Market and 
the State.
  The Police Chief of Turin, without going against his role of 
“Defender of democratic freedoms”, has forbidden the rally called by 
the citizens’ committee “Sindon Busters” (“Sindone” is Italian for 
“shroud”) weeks ago, which was to be held from 11:00am-5:00pm Saturday 
23 May.  The demonstration was to have been part of a 
counter-information campaign started on May Day about the religious 
festival organized with the full support of the council as well as the 
administrations of the region and the province.  It would have been an 
occasion to denounce the squandering of public money on displaying a 
shroud that only a part of the population want to see, in a city where 
the various adminstrations cut social services but fully subsidize the 
clergy.
  The Police Chief informed us that he was banning the demonstration 
“because of its highly controversial nature in relation to the 
celebrations connected with the display of the Holy Shroud”.  
Basically, we were informed that no-one in this city has the right to 
express a different opinion, or express a point of view critical of the 
Catholic religion, which nowadays more than ever, is the State Religion 
in all but name.
  The Turinese Anarchist Federation will not allow itself to be gagged 
and will continue to defend freedom; freedom which once again is being 
trampled on.

  Turin, 20 May 1998

  Turinese section of the Italian Anarchist Federation - FAI
  C.so Palermo 46,
  10152 Torino
  Italy

  tel/fax 011 857850; mobile 0338 6594361; e-mail fat@inrete.it

  All secular organizations, rank-and-file unions, social centres and 
every sincere freedom-lover to make their voice heard by issuing press 
releases and faxing protests to the Police Chief of Turin (011 5588045)



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