M5s protest at the Senate with signs on Rai, referendum and Gaza: “Democracy silenced”

" Rai surveillance muzzled", "Referendum obscured ", democracy silenced". These are the signs that the parliamentarians of the 5 Star Movement displayed in the Senate chamber at the beginning of the session while the group leader Stefano Patuanelli warned that for the majority "recess is over".

The senator pointed the finger at Foreign Minister Tajani: "It is unacceptable that a minister of the Republic who is asked to be present in the Chamber on an incredible story like that of Gaza decides to do so 22 days after the request. It is evidently embarrassing because they do not want to displease their friends, or rather their American masters".

"We voted against this calendar - he added - because we are fed up with the arrogance of the majority. The recess is over. There is no way that a constitutional reform should be put on the calendar of the Chamber even if the examination in the Commission has not been concluded". "We could work more in the Commission even on Thursdays and Fridays, but instead you prefer to stay at home" he shouted, addressing the protesting senators of the majority. "We also want to denounce how the Rai Supervisory Commission has been silenced. Then in the first Commission they scheduled a provision to remove an anti-mafia magistrate from the Anti-Mafia Commission. Of course he has a conflict of interest - he observed - because he has always fought the mafia and perhaps this is scary". "And we voted against also to denounce the silence that has been cast on the referendums", he concluded.