PARTITO RADICALE by ELISA Leonelll (C) 1976 After the Italian Elections of This June a New Political Party Has Appeared in the C
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PARTITO RADICALE by ELISA LEONELLl (c) 1976 After the Italian elections of this June a new political party has appeared in the Chamber of Deputies with 4 seats: the Radical Party (P.R.). This is the first time they decided to present representatives for public office, but their activities are certainly not unknown to the Italian public. The Party was founded 20 years ago, with a leftist and liberal objective; it always had very few activists, a couple of thousands, but a lot of intellectual influence because they composed the editorial staff of two big weekly magazines: l’ESPRESSO and IL MONDO. It was only in the last couple of years, though, when their campaign in favor of divorce proved successful, that the political influence of their party in the country became obvious. Their methods are non-violent, but clamorous. The latest example was the "starvation (hunger) strike” (sciopero della fame) engaged by their leader: MARCO PANNELLA. He refused to eat or drink 3 months ago, until his party had been guaranteed equal time on television, like every other party, during the electoral campaign. He won. The essence of their struggle is against the monolithism of the government and even of the Communist Party, their tendency to leave no room for individual liberties, to be moralistic and conservative. The first objective of the Radical Party today is to obtain the legalization of abortion. They already collected 850,000 signatures to abolish the existing law and through their affiliate organization: the C.I.S.A. (Italian Center Sterilization and Abortion) they have performed 40,000 clandestine abortions and they have declared it publicly, although it's against the law. It’s a very unconventional party in Italian politics; they have been defined exhibitionists, hippie and folkloristic and they are; but their 4 deputies will bring a breath of fresh air in the dusty rooms of the Italian Parliament. PARTITO RADICALE 52 SLIDES (Ektachrome) 1-2 - The RADICAL PARTY (P.R.) rented PIAZZA NAVONA in Rome to hold there their activities and festivities during the election days; 3 - They videotaped the crowd and showed it on a giant video screen located in front of the podium 4 - Three youngsters are reading the newspaper with the first election results in front of the symbol of P.R.: A HAND HOLDING A ROSE 5 - A young woman videotapes the crowd; the image appears on the monitor next to her; the night before one could follow the election results on the same screens 6 - A camerawoman in front of the Party symbol 7 - Books and informations on the activities of P.R. can be found in front of this truck parked in Piazza Navona: the writing says: THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN 8 - Detail of 7. A traffic policeman is passing by 9 - The girl has turned around: she has the P.R. symbol on her shawl 10-11-12 - In front of the truck that says THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN is the stand of C.I.S.A. (Italian Center Sterilization and Abortion), an organization affiliated with P.R.; they perform clandestine abortions 13 to 49 - Stand of M.L.D. (Movimento di Liberazione delia Donna) a women lib's movement affiliated with P.R. Two aging women are selling posters, books and buttons on A.L.D., contraceptives and abortion. Two younger women back them up. 20 - At another stand are collected contributions to the P.R. On the left their magazine: PROVA RADICALE, on the cover a nude man pissing on the T.V. screen. 21 - On a side street a red 500 FIAT parked in front of a poster for a P.R. debate (comizio) in Piazza Navona 22 - A girl with the symbol of the party on her shawl is selling jewelry in Piazza Navona, hippie style. 23 - A man wears an arm band with the hand holding a flower, a symbol of non-violence 24 - In Piazza Navona, two boys sit together on the pavement of the square, unaware of the crowd. (Notice that everybody wears jeans now in Italy) 25 - The front door of the Radical Party Headquarters in Rome Via di Torre Argentina 18 26 - The front room of P.R. headquarters. 27 - Inside, two women are having a discussion in front of some of the beautiful posters of the Party. 28 - GIANFRANCO SPADACCIA, one of the Party leaders 29 - The Headquarters of M.L.D. (women’s lib) located in the same building. The poster on the left for C.I.S.A. (Italian Center Sterilization and Abortion) says: WE ARE NO LONGER WILLING TO SELL OUR LIBERTY, WE WANT TO SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS OURSELVES WlTHOUT DELEGATING THEM TO OTHERS 30 - A man and a woman on the electoral results at Party Headquarters. Most of the party activists are young people and women 31 - Another party activist at work. The poster on the wall says: TO DEFEND THE REFERENDUM ON ABORTION. TO PUT THE CONSTITUTION INTO PRACTISE. FOR THE SOCIALIST, LAY AND LIBERTARIAN ALTERNATIVE. RADICAL PARTY, SUBSCRIBE. 32 - MAURO MELLINI (left) one of the elected deputies of the P.R. discusses with another party member in the street 33 - An activist of the League for Conscienscious objectors (L.O.C.) at work. The poster on the wall cal-s for PROLETARY JUSTICE. 34-5 - MARCO PANNELLA, the party leader. 36 - Marco Pannella helping a young activist. 37-38-39-40 . Party activists at work in the Headquarters. Notice the rose symbol of the party on the desk in 4O. 41 - A wall covered with posters at P.R. Headquarters. 42 - On a wall a women lib's poster (M.L.D.), an abortion poster: ABORTION, LET'S DO IT OURSELVES, and a graffiti of Madonna and Child 43 - Women's lib posters. Left: TO WOMEN: LET’S MAKE OURSELVES HEARD. LET’S STRUGGL,E TOGETHER FOR A SOClETY WITHOUT ROLES, WITHOUT PRIVILEGES, WITHOUT DISCRIMINATIONS. Right: DON'T VOTE FOR THE PARTIES THAT HAVE IGNORED YOU, VOTE FOR THE WOMEN OF THE WOMENS LIBERATION MOVEMENT IN THE RADICAL LISTS. 44 - Poster for a debate on sexuality 45 - A wall of posters 46 - Poster on right: SIGN TO ABROGATE THE LEGGE REALE (on police arrest without constitutional rights) AND OTHER FASCIST, CLERICAL, MILITARIST, CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC REGULATIONS. NEXT TIME IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU. 47 - Poster on the right: YOU ARE NOR A MURDERER, SIGN FOR THE ABROGATION OF THE REALE LAW. 48 - Poster of F.U.O.R.I. (UNITARY FRONT REVOLUTIONARY HOMOSEXUALS), also affiliated with the Radical Party. It represents MARX and FREUD holding hands. 49 - The radical party has its own radio station: 88.5, that helped them tremendously during the election campaign. They broadcast from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. They give free access to all affiliate groups without censorship. They reach only the area of Rome on modulation of frequency waves. 50 - A disk jockey of 88.5 RADIO RADICALE, they broadcast all kinds of music from classical to rock 51-52 - The women's lib program. The two women are commenting on electoral results the day after the elections. (June 22, 1976) ELECTION CLIMATE IN ITALY 8 slides (Ektachrome) 53 - On election night a stand where communist flags are being sold; in front of the P.C.I. national Headquarters in Via delle Botteghe Oscure in Rome. 54 - Every party had its piazza on election night in Rome and everybody was in the streets. This is PIAZZA FARNESE where the DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF PROLETARY UNIT gathered. D.P. is the party of extreme left, marxist, A conglomerate of the so- called extra parliamentary forces that from these elections will have 6 seats in the Chamber of Deputies; they include groups like: LOTTA CONTINUA, AVANGUARDIA OPERAIA, MANIFESTO. 55 - An effective political painting hanging in the middle of Piazza Farnese: the fist of the working class sinking the raft of the ruling government officials involved in the Lockheed scandal. 55B- Detail of 55 (not) 56 - A red flag on the ancient fountain in front of a church, while people are waiting for the electoral results. (not) 57 - The marxist salute on top of the fountain with the red flag. 58 The quiet face of electoral climate in an average Italian town: Modena. A Communist poster next to one of the Radical Party and one of the Proletarian party (D.P.) The Three parties that will be at the opposition on the left of the next Italian government. 59 - In the city square under the Madonna in the shade of the Cathedral all activities take place. Here they are preparing for a meeting of a young catholic movement supportive of the Christian Democrats. They wear blue scarfs, the color of the cape of the Madonna, instead of red, like the communists. The sign says: POPULAR MOVEMENT TO CHANGE OUR COUNTRY. .