Udine, city council approves motion on Palestine without opposition

WATCH THE VIDEO REPORT. The city councilors of Udine stayed up late. At least those of the majority. It was almost midnight yesterday when the motion was approved unanimously, with the opposition absent, committing the Mayor and the council to ask the national government "to work for a ceasefire, the release of all hostages, peace and respect for international law; and to recognize the State of Palestine". During the marathon session, which lasted more than six hours, the maxi-budget adjustment of 29 million was approved with 26 votes in favor, 10 against and one abstention. The chamber also gave the green light to the final project for the new headquarters of the Civil Protection. After 11pm, there were still the changes to the statute to be addressed, with the introduction of the figure of the Guarantor of Prisoners' Rights, and three sentiment motions relating to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, two of which were from the minority. It was at that point that the climate heated up. The councilor of Fratelli d'Italia Giovanni Govetto asked to postpone the discussion on the motions relating to Palestine, but the proposal was rejected. Same script, shortly after, when the Government asked to postpone the discussion on the modification of the statute. The no of the majority expressed by the leader of the Democratic Party Iacopo Cainero was followed by the vote against of the chamber. And the opposition walked out of the chamber. The majority alone unanimously approved the motion on Palestine, whose first signatory was Andrea Di Lenardo, leader of the Alleanza Verdi Sinistra – Possibile. 'The entire right-wing minority – commented Di Lenardo himself – left the room to go eat a pizza, thus not discussing either this point or the modification of the Statute. But if the minority benches were deserted, the benches of the "public" were instead packed with citizens in support of the motion – concluded Di Lenardo.

Charges rejected by the opposition.