Several hundred people form a military-style formation, with some sporting tattoos on their shaved scalps and the majority clothed in black.
A leader orders his battalion of followers at the site in Milan where far-right student Sergio Ramelli was killed by anti-fascists more than fifty years ago. He calls out “brother-in-arms,” or “camerata,” along with Ramelli’s name, as though making a roll call. And then it happens: in the center of Italy’s second city, a rigid right arm lifted and outstretched with palms facing down, the fascist salute, and the throng responds on the dead man’s behalf with a roar: “Present! Present! Present!”
This sounds frighteningly similar to a century ago, even now it’s 2024. Even if it might appear remarkable to an outsider, as it did to me, witnessing it
I found it astounding to witness it up close because, as annual commemorations go, this kind of thing is not unusual in Italy.The Brothers of Italy party, which has roots in post-war fascism, is in charge of Italy’s current government. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the movement’s leader, has declared that her movement has entirely changed and that it is obvious that her policies differ from those of the demonstrators in Milan. However, some worry that she and her party have not strayed too far from their political roots and that what was once seen as extreme is starting to become the norm.
