The conflicts of 1977 began with a student occupation at the University of Rome to protest education reforms. This quickly escalated into a fully-fledged guerrilla battle with the police on the streets of Rome. The conflicts spread to other Italian university towns and trade unions and political parties were also dragged into the conflict. After a student was killed during a demonstration in May, riots broke out.
This photo was taken by Paolo Pedrizzetti in Milan during the riots. It depicts a young man in a ski mask who was a member of a far-left organization who turned their guns against the police, killing officer Antonio Custra on May 14th ‘77. The image became synonymous with The Years of Lead and spoke of the culmination of years of struggle between neo-fascists and the radical left to control the political future of the Italian Republic.
I was explicitly not talking about 1936 Germany or 1922 Italy.
What do you find the fundamental difference to be between then and now?
The rise of fascism in Europe is an incredibly complex topic. Historians and political scientists today are still debating the definition of fascism and whether or not the word can be applied to anything after WW2. I read articles on Jstor that argued that Franco and Tito couldn’t be considered fascists. I don’t feel like I know nearly enough about those societies to talk about them authoritatively. I feel like I have at least somewhat of an understanding of American society and I don’t think political violence is justifiable. Less than 50% of eligible voters voted in the last midterm election. I believe more political participation could lead to political change.