Lucca Mayor protested during Sant’Anna di Stazzema commemorations

During the 82nd anniversary commemorations of the Nazi-fascist massacre in Sant’Anna di Stazzema, a group of young protesters blocked the access road to the village to contest the Mayor of Lucca, Mario Pardini.

The protesters displayed a banner directed at Pardini, criticizing his appointment of deputy mayor Fabio Barsanti, whom they labeled as fascist. The group stated that the Mayor was not welcome and warned that they would be present to oppose him in the future.

Mayor Pardini described the incident as “an unworthy and intolerable act,” arguing that in a democracy, a mayor should not be prevented from participating in a commemoration of massacre victims. Pardini reported that he spent an hour attempting to engage the protesters in dialogue and proposed a public debate, but they showed no interest. Despite the blockade, the Mayor was eventually able to reach the site and participate in the ceremonies alongside the Mayor of Stazzema, Maurizio Verona.