Attack on a migrant last Friday while he was returning from work by bicycle. The episode occurred between San Ferdinando and Rosarno.
The position of Mayor Gaetano is clear, labeling the facts as a “cowardly and unacceptable act”, underlining how they have aroused “great dismay and profound indignation, which affects not only the victim but also the fundamental values of respect and solidarity that we want to promote in our community.”
“It is our duty to firmly condemn all forms of violence and discrimination – adds the mayor -, committing ourselves to creating a safe, prosperous and inclusive territory for all, regardless of origin or skin colour. The migratory phenomenon, intrinsically connected to crisis in agriculture and the economic dynamics that subtract value from supply chains, is for us the most evident symbol of all the contradictions within this hypertrophic consumer society. Behind the lights and sequins of an apparently happy society, yes they hide the tragedies and living conditions of a painful humanity which, not only in San Ferdinando, represents the dark side of unbridled consumerism which fuels divisions and increases disparities.
As a municipal administration, we express our total solidarity with the victim and join the call for justice. We are already in contact with the competent authorities so that full light is shed on the incident and the attackers are identified and punished: zero tolerance for those who carry out these inhumane actions, linked to a subculture that we must do our best to eradicate with all our strength.
San Ferdinando cannot and must not be the scene of acts that introduce hatred and discord into the structures of society. It is necessary to act with determination to improve the living conditions of migrant workers, often relegated to situations of isolation and precariousness which expose them to exploitation and dangers, but it is equally necessary to act on a cultural level: migrants are often pointed out as the cause of our frustrations and dissatisfaction, forgetting, more or less consciously, the true causes of degradation and backwardness including, first and foremost, the oppressive pervasiveness of organized crime.
It is necessary to commit ourselves to raising the quality of a public debate which often simplifies and generalises, addressing the gut and the most visceral moods of common feeling, effectively hindering any conscious and in-depth reflection.
We invite institutions at all levels to collaborate to put an end to this spiral of violence and to implement effective policies to ensure safety, integration and dignity for all workers. As a municipal administration we will strengthen the dialogue with associations, unions and local entities to promote concrete initiatives in favor of inclusion and mutual respect and we will carry forward with determination the projects useful for definitively overcoming the conditions of degradation and exploitation that have afflicted us for many years, now, San Ferdinando and the Gioia Tauro plain.
San Ferdinando is and must remain a community of peace, work and solidarity. It is our task to preserve these values and react forcefully against any attempt to undermine them and to do this we trust in the sensitivity, intelligence and humanity of people with common sense and a critical spirit.”