The rise of the extremist right in Europe; Thousands march in Italy in honor of Mussolini.
Thousands of Italians celebrated the anniversary of Benito Mussolini’s rise to power on Sunday as far-right parties continue to gain traction in countries across Europe.
As far-right parties continue to gain traction in countries across Europe, thousands of Italians marched to Benito Mussolini’s crypt on Sunday (October 31) to honor Italy’s fascist dictator, the Associated Press reported.
The population of these people, which is estimated between 2000 and 4000 people, went to this crypt in Mussolini’s hometown in Perdapio. Many in the crowd were seen carrying fascist flags and signs and were heard singing Italian colonial anthems.
The crowd had gathered to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the March on Rome, in which members of the National Fascist Party seized the Italian capital and forced the country’s king to hand over power entirely to Mussolini.
While Mussolini is often considered among the most brutal dictators of the 20th century, the march at his grave reflects the rise of far-right and neo-fascist movements seen both in Italy and across Europe.
According to this report, far-right movements are gaining attention even in old liberal countries like Sweden. Italy itself recently saw a return to far-right control for the first time since Mussolini, when Giorgia Meloni was elected as the next prime minister. Meloni’s far-right “Brothers of Italy” party is born of fascist sentiments after World War II.
However, not everyone in Italy seems to welcome far-right groups with open arms. Before marching on Mussolini’s grave, around 1,000 anti-fascist activists are said to have celebrated Italy’s independence in 1944 with a huge march on Friday.
