Politics in Italy just keeps getting nastier. News from Sinistra Critica of an attack by the fascist Forza Nuova on students at Rome’s La Sapienza university, where I had my first taste of a carbohydrate that wasn’t bread or potato. Two fascists are under house arrest so too is one member of the student collective which was attacked and another two have been released on bail. Naturally a right wing junior minister has downplayed the fact that the fascists attacked first claiming that it was a clash between two groups of students and that the left wingers had provoked the fascist by having a meeting in the university.

Sinistra Critica’s (SC) spokesperson Flavia D’Angeli points out that there have been several fascist attacks since Berlusconi’s recent election victory. Franco Turigliatto of SC  had been due to appear on the popular (and truly awful) Porta a Porta TV show but has withdrawn because Forza Nuova’s leader was due to be on the same show. D’Angeli added that provocative statements from figures in the government have emboldened the fascists to launch these attacks. He pointed out that the opposition has been engaged in a “political ballet” to cover up some of the Berlusconi regime’s worst excesses and concluded that a major mobilisation is needed to prevent the ghosts of the past returning.