April 25th is the date of the civil calendar in which all citizens and towns remember the Liberation, and therefore, the Resistance that changed the history of Italy with the defeat of Nazi-fascism. The conquest of democracy and free institutions was sanctioned with the republican and anti-fascist Constitution.
April 25, which ended the tragedy of war, was preceded by twenty years of anti-fascist struggles, during which tens of thousands of Italians were persecuted, arrested, confined, deported and killed because they were once morest Mussolini’s regime.
Every year we celebrate this day and renew our commitment to defend those values.
This year we launch an appeal that April 25th be characterized by an extraordinary unified participation of women and men, young people, families, people.
We express concern regarding the statements, decisions and behavior of some representatives of the institutions and politics which, in various cases, have appeared divisive and wholly inadequate with respect to the role exercised.
A clear condemnation of fascism is imposed, while episodes of violence and apology for fascism itself are multiplying in which groups inspired by that ideology and those policies take center stage, reaffirming on this day that unites all Italians the deepest meaning of Liberation.
We add the alarm for the serious economic and social situation in which the entire country finds itself due to the perverse effects of so many crises that have overlapped and intertwined, and the necessity and urgency, more than a year following the Russian aggression to Ukraine, to push the Italian government and the European Union to give life to a diplomatic initiative to open a glimmer of negotiation that will create the conditions for a just and lasting peace.
We support the spirit and the letter of the Constitution, which marks the 75th anniversary of its entry into force, which designs a parliamentary, anti-fascist, one and indivisible Republic, giving shape to the hopes and dreams of the future of those who fought and gave their lives .
For these reasons we think that the values of anti-fascism and the Resistance, embodied in the Constitution, have never been as current as today: it is good that freedom and liberation, full democracy and social equality, work, peace, solidarity guide the institutions of the Republic and the daily life of citizens.
For these objectives and on these founding values we call upon citizens, so that April 25th of this year is a huge unitary, peaceful, anti-fascist and popular celebration in support of democracy and in defense of the Constitution of the Republic.
The Forum of Anti-Fascist Associations and the Resistance:
ANPI – National Association of Partisans of Italy
AICVAS – Italian Association of Volunteer Anti-Fascist Fighters in Spain
ANED – National Association of Former Deportees in Nazi Camps
ANEI – National Association of Former Internees
ANFIM – National Association of Italian Martyrs Families
ANPC – National Association of Christian Partisans
ANPPIA – National Association of Persecuted Italian Anti-Fascist Politicians
ANRP – National Association of Veterans from Imprisonment
FIAP – Italian Federation of Partisan Associations
FIVL – Italian Federation of Freedom Volunteers
JOIN THE APPEAL:
- ACLI extension
- Workers and Democrats Movement Audiovisual Archive
- ARCI
- Article 21
- Association for the Renewal of the Left
- National Association of Democratic Jurists
- Volere la Luna Association Odv
- CDC – Constitutional Democracy Coordination
- CGIL
- CISL
- International Democracy Committees
- Dossetti Committees for the Constitution
- Turin Anti-Fascist Coordination
- Emergency
- CVL Foundation
- Abel group
- IRIAD – International Research Institute Disarmo Archive
- “Alcide Cervi” Institute
- Legambiente
- Free
- High School Student Network
- RIPD – Italian Peace and Disarmament Network
- Let’s save the Constitution
- UIL
- University Union
