XIV Day in Memory of Victims of Organized Crime

FLARE member: Libera

The FLARE European Social Campaign “Season of Legality” takes off on March 21 in Naples, Italy, on the occasion of the XIV Day of Memory and Commitment in Remembrance of Victims of Organized Crime.

The demonstration is beyond doubt tha largest social event in Italy. Every year, tens of thousands people take part in it. Libera, the promoter of the event, is formed by over 1.200 associations and it represents a concret commitment for those thousands people in Italy who are interested in the fight against mafias and organized crime.

FLARE participate for the second time and Ilya Politkovskaja (Anna Politkovskaja’s son), Sengül Balikçi (her husband was Hasan Balikçi, an engineer who worked for a long time for the Turkish Electric Company TEDAS, he was killed by several gunshots in 2002), Isoke Aikpitanyi (29, Nigerian, she was victim of human traffickers on her way to Europe and now lives in Aosta, Italy, for almost ten years where she runs a shelter for victims of human trafficking; she is author of the book “Le Ragazze di Benin City, la tratta delle nuove schiave dalla Nigeria ai marciapiedi d’Italia” - “Girls of Benin City, new slaves from Nigeria to Italian sidewalks”), and Bruce Cerew (African writer and activist in the Netherlands, whose achievements in various fields are creating a precedent for more tolerance, equality and breaking the barriers of injustice and discrimination) are participating at the event as FLARE guests.

Together with these guests, FLARE and its forty members delegates stood up and took part at the march in Naples. At the end of the demnostration, they went on stage addressing a 100.000 people crowd saying that organized crime is a threat that involves all European and non-European countries that needs to be fought at an international level. Such fight undoubtedly needs the effort of civil societies too.

“Season of Legality” continues with the event in Turin, on March 22.

 

Tags: Alexander Ivanov, Anna Politkovskaja, Hasan Balikçi, Isoke Aikpitanyi