The demonstrations of the "Covid deniers" are attacks on public health

On Saturday 5th September in Rome there will be another demonstration, after the one in June. This time, however, we will have to be prepared: tolerating such a blatant violation of the rules means mocking a tragedy

(photo: Michael Kappeler / dpa) On 2 June last, General Pappalardo's orange vests and Salvini's so-called center-right caught us a bit 'by surprise: international and interregional circulation was about to resume, we were still stunned by the lockdown - completely slackened only for a couple of weeks - and those demonstrations already without a mask seemed to us perhaps more picturesque than dangerous. We hoped they were just a regurgitation of those who no longer knew what to attach themselves to in order not to be sucked into the void of a very serious situation that must be valued - look at it - competence. And maybe we were deluding ourselves that everything was about to end. But it was not and it is not.

During the summer, however, the usual mixture of denial (even if some think we should not bother with such a heavy term), conspiracy and extremism has risen into a monster populist who from London to Berlin call NoMask, a product of ignorance ridden by the most despicable opportunism (and probably the luck of not having seen Covid-19 up close). Saturday 5 September, under the always diligent direction of Forza Nuova and assorted neo-Nazi friends, this big body that can't stand distancing and masks (but where in reality everyone looks for his space of power: the usual Diego Fusaro, the NoVax, the no -5G, all possible no, pitchforks and QAnon, ultrà, committees of all kinds) will return to the streets in Rome.