Predappio Mussolini birthday ceremony draws only 120 participants

On 14 July, the 143rd anniversary of Benito Mussolini's birth was marked in Predappio, Italy. Attendance was markedly low – about 120 people in total, including police – and the traditional parade through Piazza Sant’Antonio was cancelled. About 20 participants gathered at the square in front of the former Casa del Fascio, while organizers from the RSI, Continuità Ideale, the Arditi, and Mussolini’s granddaughters, Orsola and Vittoria, arrived by car. Orsola Mussolini called for a minute of silence and asked attendees not to perform the Roman salute; however, three young men raised their arms despite police observation.

A mass was later held at San Cassiano church for Mussolini and his daughter Anna Maria. Nearby, a newly opened Forza Nuova Romagna office displayed black shirts and slogans. Predappio mayor Roberto Canali said the party’s presence was unwelcome but that the town could not intervene as long as laws were respected.