Reggio Emilia, September 12 – First the provocations in the square and verbal assaults, followed by endless video propaganda and, finally, flames on one of the symbols of Islamic culture: the Quran. This is the latest stunt by the influencer from Reggio Emilia Ferenc Venturelli, known as Eterno, former supporter of the League and now activist of Futuro Nazionale. In a video shot along the ring road of Reggio Emilia, the young man films himself while burning the sacred book of Islam. From his point of view, this act would represent a response to all those Muslims who, in Italy and abroad, burn Christian symbols.
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The distancing
When asked about the matter, Roberto Vannacci, founder and president of Futuro Nazionale, and Marco Lusetti, provincial head of the party, dissociate themselves from the actions committed by the activist. “He acted in a personal capacity. The party will verify the situation to evaluate any possible intervention”, Lusetti declares.
The activist, already the protagonist of controversial videos and with an Instagram profile of 105,000 followers, however seems to have gone unnoticed by those who lead the party: “I do not know him personally, he is a simple member, but there are 150,000 of them in Italy. We certainly do not promote mocking other religions and cultures, it is not in our policy. As for the specific case, I reserve the right to evaluate it and to discuss it with Reggio,” clarifies Vannacci.
Possible measures
“Once the facts are clarified, if necessary, in addition to adopting appropriate disciplinary measures against the responsible party (sanctions, suspension or expulsion, ed.), we will issue an official statement to express the position of our party,” adds Lusetti.
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While on one hand joining the party is done on an individual and autonomous basis, on the other hand it is necessary to consider the public relevance of figures like ‘Eterno’, known for sharing often divisive content and positions on social media.
“It is not courage. It is not freedom of expression. It is a provocation designed to humiliate millions of people, fuel religious hatred and gain some views on social media,” says Dario De Lucia, city councilor of Coalizione Civica in Reggio Emilia, on the matter.
There is also controversy over influencers in Bologna where the other day some of them took an anti-degradation walk in the Bolognina district and nearly clashed with antifascist collectives and activists.
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