by Alessandra Cardone
ROME, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Anti-fascist activists took to the streets across Italy on Saturday, in the final phase of an electoral campaign marked by a visible rise of far-right forces.
A major rally against "all sorts of fascism and racism" was called in the Italian capital by workers unions and the association of Italian partisans (ANPI) who fought against the Fascism regime in the Second World War.
Two other minor protests -- one of which also against the government's job market reform and immigration policy -- took place in Rome.
The main demonstration was primarily organized as a response to a racially motivated attack against African migrants, carried out by a far-right Italian extremist in the central city of Macerata on Feb. 3. Six people -- five men and one woman -- were randomly shot and wounded in the attack, before the man was arrested.
In the rainy Saturday afternoon, an estimated 20,000 people paraded across Rome up to central Piazza del Popolo, where they gathered to hear testimonies from ANPI representatives and other anti-fascist figures.
Center-left and leftist political leaders took part in the demonstration as well, including Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Senate chairperson Pietro Grasso, and Lower House speaker Laura Boldrini.
Yet, in agreement with organizers, none of them addressed the audience from the stage to not overshadow the "above-parties" nature of the rally with issues linked to the current electoral race. Similar anti-fascism rallies were held in Milan, Bologna, and in Sicily's Palermo.
Meanwhile -- as the country draws near to the general elections scheduled on March 4 -- the campaign was being marked by rising tensions, a hot debate on immigration, and some violent episodes between rival political activists.
Earlier this week, the local chief of neo-fascist Forza Nuova (FN) party in Sicily was beaten by at least six masked people.
The day before, a group of Forza Nuova supporters had tried to forced their entry into the studio of private La7 TV during a broadcast in Rome.
Forza Nuova supporters also clashed with police in Macerata earlier this month, as they tried to hold an unauthorized rally against immigrants.
In various episodes in other cities, leftist supporters also clashed with police, when they tried to stop political events organized by Forza Nuova, by far-right CasaPound group, and also by right-wing anti-immigrant League party, which is part of a center-right coalition led by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI) party.
Minor clashes indeed took place in Milan on Saturday, as anti-fascists staged sit-ins to counterbalance a political address held by the League's Matteo Salvini and another by CasaPound.
Scuffles broke out when police stopped anti-fascist activists from trying to force their way and reach the square where the League's event was taking place. No casualties or serious injures were reported.
Tight security measures were in fact implemented in all of the cities touched by the rallies on Saturday, with the aim of avoiding anti-fascist activists and far-right supporters getting near. In Rome, some 3,000 police officers were deployed.
In an annual report unveiled to the parliament on Feb. 20, the Italian intelligence said the increased presence of "far-right groups characterized by racism and intolerance" was among the threats to the country's security.
The intelligence warned that "new groups have been born, which have a firm grasp on the youngest especially", and the better organized among such groups would not lack "connections with fierce Neo-Nazi networks".
