With a few women and a yellow banner unfurled in front of the entrance to the courtyard of Palazzo Accursio (with the words "No to political exchanges on women's bodies"), the Coordination for Self-Determination protested yesterday afternoon against the speech by Don Oreste Benzi, a guest of the City Council Commission, chaired by Daniela Bottino of La tua Bologna, accompanied by the health councilor, Gian Paolo Salvioli (pictured). On the table, Law 194 on abortion.
The women held a demonstration in front of the town hall, while inside, Don Benzi and other representatives of the Giovanni XXIII association reiterated their willingness to collaborate with the town hall in the counseling centers and services that practice voluntary termination of pregnancy (in line with a motion previously proposed by members of the majority).
After the president of Arcigay, Sergio Lo Giudice, For the opposition, Forza Italia councilor Daniele Carella spoke, saying he agreed with the need to make Law 194 work in all its parts, particularly in terms of assistance to women. But then Carella, who emphasized that he was speaking "in a personal capacity," added that, as a secularist, he could not accept the "fundamentalist" and intolerance for the freedom of others that, in his opinion, Don Benzi demonstrated.
He said, among other things, that politicians act with "reprehensible superficiality" in the application of Law 194, because they do not sufficiently protect life, as also demonstrated by the fact that many women, after the initial decision to have an abortion, go back on their decision if they can.
The protest was joined by, among others, DS, CGIL, Arcigay and Arcilebsica, Pdci. In addition to the banner, various signs were displayed and 'thoughts for secularism' were collected in a cardboard urn, as well as postcards in defense of Law 194 to be sent to Mayor Guazzaloca.
On September 17th, there was controversy over the alleged "profile" by the municipal police and DIGOS (Italian Special Operations Unit) of the women's coordination group who wanted to attend the commission meeting. Yesterday, to avoid any misunderstanding, the members of the public attending the meeting were not asked for their documents.
(SAY)- BOLOGNA- FOR A MEETING WITH DON ORESTE BENZI AT THE PALACE
‘'ACCURSIO - A FACT-FINDING HEARING WITH THE HEALTH COMMISSION AND THE ELECTIONS COMMISSION - THE MAJORITY CHOOSES THE COUNCIL CHAMBER BUT DISCOVERS THAT IT IS USELESS, SINCE ITS OWN REPRESENTANTS ARE BANKRUPT. IN FACT, THERE ARE FEW FEMALE COUNCILLORS AND EQUALLY FEW MEN COUNCILLORS WAITING FOR THE ANIMATOR OF THE POPE JOHN XXIII COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION ON THE MAJORITY'S BENCHES. SO MUCH SO, THAT, AS SIMONA LEMBI, DS WOMEN'S LEADER, POINTED OUT AT THE END OF THE FACT-FINDING HEARING, IT CAN BE SAID THAT "THE CENTER-RIGHT BENCHES, WHICH WANTED THIS EVENT, PROMOTED AS PART OF AN INITIATIVE ON THE APPLICATION OF LAW 194, WERE EMPTY." FURTHERMORE: FROM THE CENTER-RIGHT BENCHES, JUST SHORTLY BEFORE DON BENZI LEAVES THE MUNICIPALITY (TO BOARD A PLANE FOR BETHLEHEM), A HARSH INTERVENTION FROM DANIELE CARELLA CAME: "EVEN TODAY YOU HAVE CRIMINALIZED THOSE WHO MAKE CHOICES WE DON'T LIKE," THE FI COUNCILLOR POINTED OUT, "THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.".
ON THE COUNCIL BENCHES, TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING (BUT IN A DISCONTINUOUS WAY, SO MUCH SO MUCH THAT AT A CERTAIN POINT OF THE WOMEN IN THE MAJORITY, ONLY THE PRESIDENT OF THE ELECT COMMISSION, DANIELA BOTTINO), THERE ARE THE LTB COUNCILLORS, MARIA CRISTINA MARRI AND ALESSANDRA AUFIERO, AND SABRINA SABATTANI, DEPUTY GROUP LEADER OF AN.
IN THE SEATS RESERVED FOR THE PUBLIC, SEVERAL SILENT WOMEN AND A SMALL REPRESENTATION OF THE’ARCIGAY WITH A BANNER IN HAND THAT IS NOT RAISED BUT SHOWED TO PHOTOGRAPHERS AND FOR THIS CAUSES A "REprimand" FROM BOTTINO ("I WOULD ASK YOU TO PUT THAT POSTER AWAY, THERE IS NO NEED FOR IT" HE SAYS). AT THE ENTRANCE TO PALAZZO 'ACCURSIO A POLE OF WOMEN AND POLICEMEN PROTECTING PUBLIC SAFETY. DON BENZI ARRIVES HALF AN HOUR LATE. SOME OF ITS EXPONENTS TAKE VOICE TO THE REASONS OF THE POPE JOHN COMMUNITY: LUISA TASSI TONELLI, GIOVANNA DAL MONTE, ANDREA MAZZI. ' HE CITES THE NUMBERS RELATING TO VOLUNTARY TERRUPTIONS OF PREGNANCY IN BOLOGNA AND IN EMILIA-ROMAGNA. THEY ARE SUCH AS TO REQUIRE INTERVENTION, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN STABLE SINCE 1994. THE ABORTION RATE IS STILL AT 11.61%: A FIGURE THAT CAUSES "ALARM" MORE BECAUSE IT IS STATIC THAN IT IS IN ITSELF.
The cleric does not spare himself the now customary graphic images. He speaks of "real killings," or rather "children shattered" by the vacuum cleaner, and says: "HOW CAN A PEOPLE WHO ACTS IN THIS WAY BE CIVILIZED?" He attacks the "guardians of the law" who make unjust laws merely out of consensus. The Democratic Party members Sergio Lo Giudice and Lalla Golfarelli respond. BUT CARELLA IS GETTING OFF THE MAJORITY BENCHES TO INVITE DON BENZI AND THE POPE JOHN XXIII ASSOCIATION TO "RESPECT EVERYONE'S POSITIONS. I'M SPEAKING IN A PERSONAL CAPACITY," HE SPECIFIES, "THE REAL ISSUE UNDER DISCUSSION TODAY IS FREEDOM. NOT 'WHETHER YOU ARE FOR OR AGAINST LIFE, FOR OR AGAINST ABORTION. YOU CANNOT BE AGAINST LIFE AND FOR ABORTION BUT, IF ANY, FOR THE FREEDOM OF SELF-DETERMINATION. YOU SEE, DON BENZI, I HAVE THE UTMOST RESPECT FOR YOU," HE SAYS, "BUT YOU CANNOT CRIMINALIZE AND TALK ABOUT
DIALOGUE".
