This is what has appeared for a few days in Brindisi on the facade of a warehouse of the former Saca located in via provinciale San Vito, the road that should be traveled by the seven representatives of the summit which will be held from 13 to 15 June in the Apulian city. It is an important artery of the city, which connects Brindisi airport to the Castello Svevo and will be the calling card to make our "allies" feel at home when they head towards the gala dinner on 13 June , offered by the President of the Italian Republic.
At this point, if anyone still has some doubts about the process of militarization underway in Italian civil society, as the Observatory against the militarization of schools and universities has been denouncing for some time, and about what will be the topics on the agenda day during the G7 days, this image of a South American regime in full war propaganda will serve to dispel them.
The citizens of Brindisi and some political groups appear not to have welcomed the idea of the Navy in a benevolent manner, increasingly bold in its war propaganda in the cities, schools and universities; in fact, some newspapers have underlined the contradiction between the rhetoric of war and the pacifist vocation of the city of Brindisi (War murals in a City of Peace: an unacceptable contradiction on newspam.it).
As an Observatory against the militarization of schools and universities, we are worried about the escalation of war in our country. We absolutely do not want our little girls and boys, already dazed by constant news of horrendous wars that are devastating humanity with the approval of our representatives, who instead should work to put an end to them, to be upset by these terrible images, typical of the regime of war. What are we preparing for? What is the imagery we are delivering to our sons and daughters? And what kind of society do we intend to build for future generations?
Furthermore, we ask ourselves, what way is this to welcome the "greats" of the Earth into our country? Will this be the way to convince, this time too, as in the past, our "partners in war" that we are ready for war? Will this too, like the image of Prime Minister Meloni on the military chariot, be a demonstration of strength to prepare the country to go to war? It is therefore legitimate to ask: what will be discussed at the G7 summit with these premises?
The Observatory against the militarization of schools and universities considers it absolutely inappropriate to display giant photographs of men armed to the teeth about to go to war in the city and calls for their immediate removal. Rather, displaying flags of peace, images of men and women who have built paths of peace and anti-militarism in our country and beyond would be a beautiful gesture of active non-violence on the part of citizens.
In any case, the Observatory against the militarization of schools and universities together with the NoG7 network, which is organizing a counter-summit in those days, does not exclude mobilizations and demonstrations to express clear dissent towards this unacceptable war propaganda in full city.
Observatory against the militarization of schools and universities