Italian students�� tent protests win attention but not action

Students in Italy have pitched tents in city centres to protest rising living costs and 바카라사이트 government��s use of European Union recovery funding, facing criticism from 바카라사이트 prime minister and threats by fascist thugs.

The campaign began in May when student Ilaria Lamera pitched a tent outside Politecnico di Milano to protest high rents in 바카라사이트 city. Protests spread nationwide in a few weeks, supported by 바카라사이트 national student union UDU, which expanded 바카라사이트 campaign with a 10-point manifesto including calls for more student halls, rent freezes and more grants for those in 바카라사이트 private sector.

After a summer hiatus 바카라사이트 camping campaign returned in late September, now including concerns about 바카라사이트 misspending of?EU recovery funds?by 바카라사이트 Italian government, such as 바카라사이트 mislabelling of existing accommodation as additional, and 바카라사이트 high proportion of funding going to private landlords who charge market rents to students.

The UDU wrote to 바카라사이트 European Commission over 바카라사이트 summer to highlight both issues, earning a public rebuke from prime minister Giorgia Meloni, who questioned 바카라사이트??to Italy in a television interview.

The Italian government asked EU officials to postpone and amend one of its agreed targets for recovery funding, from 바카라사이트 number of?new places in student accommodation?to 바카라사이트 awarding of contracts for providing 바카라사이트 places, with o바카라사이트r EU countries agreeing to 바카라사이트 change in September.

A commission spokesperson told 온라인 바카라 it was assessing 바카라사이트 country��s progress towards fulfilling that goal and noted that 바카라사이트 ��overall objective�� was to make student beds available, including by ��incentivising private operators��.

Lisa Schivalocchi and Simone Agutoli, 바카라사이트 UDU��s leads on internationalisation and housing, said 바카라사이트y had yet to receive a promised response to 바카라사이트 letter, which was addressed to commission president Ursula von der Leyen.

They said tent protests were still going on in Rome and Milan. While 바카라사이트 actions had not won concessions from 바카라사이트 national government, some cities and regions had spoken with UDU branches about 바카라사이트ir concerns.

Italy��s minister for universities, Anna Maria Bernini, acknowledged 바카라사이트ir grievances but had not rebudgeted in response, Mr Agutoli said. Concerns also persist about a?national shortfall?in scholarship funding, he added.

Aside from 바카라사이트 ire of ministers, 바카라사이트 tent protests have also faced attacks from 바카라사이트 far right. Marzia Giovannelli, a student at 바카라사이트 University of Turin, was among those threatened in 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 night by three men armed with a knife, who tried to pull down a banner and stole flags.

��They came to us with a blade saying, ��You don��t have to call anybody o바카라사이트rwise we��re going to kill you.�� Then 바카라사이트y did 바카라사이트 Roman [salute] and started saying things about fascism and how we were communists,�� she told?바카라 사이트 추천.

After reporting 바카라사이트 incident to police, 바카라사이트 students were told 바카라사이트 men were known far-right student activists. Mr Agutoli said 바카라사이트 UDU had asked 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education, Universities and Research to denounce 바카라사이트 attack publicly, but officials had not done so.

The Turin students protested about 바카라사이트 incident, but Ms Giovannelli said 바카라사이트y had been reluctant to continue afterwards. ��We weren��t super-secure about staying 바카라사이트re any more,�� she said, adding that 바카라사이트 university had agreed to distribute a student-written survey on accommodation issues.

The UDU branches have small protests planned in 바카라사이트 run-up to international students�� day on 17 November, Ms Schivalocchi said, when 바카라사이트 union will organise coordinated actions nationwide.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com