PROTEST MARCH MARZABOTTO – MONTE SOLE
Sunday, June 15th, 11 O’clock
A former soldier, Phil Gourd, who was with the Allies near Monte Sole, once told of a group of 12 Italians who, upon encountering his battalion returning from a patrol, asked to be allowed to pass through to go to Monte Sole.
His regret was that all 12 people later died in the massacre.
‘Had we known…’ ‘If only we had known…’
Years later, the sense of guilt was still palpable.
One thing we certainly cannot say is that we do not know.
The war in Gaza is literally live, streaming.
We know.
We also know what it means to suffer violence, destruction and annihilation.
We have heard and seen it recounted by the survivors of the massacres, and this is why, taking on the responsibility that this place has given us, we have always worked against the killing of civilians and against wars.
Mosab Abu Toha, a poet from Gaza who is now abroad, wrote that the attack on Gaza has shown, among other things, the fragility of Western democracies, or rather of the principle of popular sovereignty.
There is no doubt that almost everywhere the people are calling for a ceasefire and the creation of humanitarian corridors.
Every appeal has so far been ignored.
That is why it is even more important, once again, to reiterate from the hills of Monte Sole that war crimes and crimes against humanity must cease immediately.
CALL FOR AN END TO ALL VIOLENCE
CALL FOR A NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION, SAVE GAZA AND THE PALESTINIAN POPULATION! From Monte Sole – Marzabotto takes on the full face of the children killed by the thousands in the homes, tents, streets, and hospitals of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government must be stopped. The violence must be stopped. It is no longer possible to silently watch the spiral of violence and violations of international law that have been going on for decades. What has happened since 7 October 2023, is the latest act in a history steeped in violations and injustice that involves us all. Together, all of us, we must say “enough”. Have the courage and honesty to condemn the Hamas terrorist attack of 7 October 2023, as well as to condemn the response of the Israeli government, which has exceeded every limit and every rule of the right to defence. Despite the risk of violating the Convention against Genocide, which has already been denounced by the International Court of Justice, the Israeli army continues unabated raids and bombardments on the civilian population, who are also denied food, water, medical care and protection. The relentless ferocity and will to expel the Palestinian population from the Gaza Strip, after having enclosed them in that strip of land, has spread to the cities, refugee camps and villages of the West Bank, with continuous actions by the army and settlers, taking on to all intents and purposes the characteristics of ethnic cleansing, a true crime against humanity, against every rule of international resolution and convention.
And there is a distant, inactive, tolerant and silent international community, capable only of timid declarations, rendered extraordinarily slow and cautious in acting by opposing interests, opportunism, ambiguity, hidden and ill-concealed hegemonic designs. While democratic states and governments have a duty to stop violations of international law and to protect the civilian population, with all political, diplomatic and economic means at their disposal.
That is why we call on the Italian government and the European institutions:
- to suspend military cooperation and the EU-Israel Association Agreement, until the violations of human rights and occupation cease;
- to restore support to UNRWA for assistance to Palestinian refugees;
- the immediate recognition of the state of Palestine; ● to call for the convening of a peace conference under the aegis of the United Nations. Actions needed today to:
- put an end to all kinds of violence, in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Jerusalem, in Israel;
- obtain an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip;
- the release of hostages and prisoners;
- guarantee assistance to the Palestinian civilian population;
- stop the deportation of the Palestinian population and the plan to invade Gaza.
From Marzabotto and from Monte Sole we ask you, all the people and organisations that like us feel the duty to do everything in our power to save lives, civilians, innocent children, peace and coexistence between Palestinians and Israelisto to join us. When the massacres took place here, no one could have imagined what was happening. It is our responsibility, today that we know, to do all we can to stop the extermination of an innocent population, just like the defenceless civilians who lived in Monte Sole 80 years ago. Municipality of Marzabotto and Regional Committee for the Honours to the Fallen of Marzabotto.
