The dean of Rome's Sapienza University
on Tuesday voiced her "dismay and disbelief" at a political
philosophy professor's solidarity with Red Brigades (BR)
terrorist Barbara Balzerani who died Monday aged 75.
Lecturer Donatella Di Cesare, an essayist who appears often on
TV talk shows, posted on X, before deleting it: "Your revolution
was also mine. Different ways do not cancel ideas. With a heavy
heart a farewell to Comrade Luna (Moon) #barbarabalzerani".
Balzerani, who never reneged on her past of political violence,
but said she was sorry for the victim, w as involved in several
killings, including the 1978 raid in which five member of
ex-premier Aldo Moro's security escort were murdered.
Moro was kidnapped in the raid, and killed 54 days later.
Balzerani was also involved in the abduction of United States
General James L. Dozier in 1981.
The previous year she was part of the BR hit squad that
assassinated magistrate Girolamo Minervini.
She was arrested in 1985.
Due to her ability to dodge arrest she was dubbed "the scarlet
pimpernel" by the Italian media
The Sapienza rector, Antonella Polimeni, according to a
statement from Italy's biggest uni, "speaking on behalf of the
entire academic community, recalls the very high tribute of
blood paid by La Sapienza University in the season of terrorism,
confirms the firm condemnation of all forms of violence and
distances herself from any statement of support or closeness to
ideas, facts and people who do not respect or have not respected
the laws of the Republic and the democratic principles expressed
by the Constitution".
Rightwing politicians said they were "amazed" at what De Cesare
had written about Balzerani, with Brothers of Italy (FdI) House
Whip Tommaso Foti saying "we need deep reflection on the
dangerousness of giving a sounding board, in the universities
and on television, to people who are nostalgic for a dark time,
in which they affirmed sick and revolutionary ideas with machine
guns, bombs and kidnappings that ended in tragedy."
Foti called on the "whole world of politics, as well as La
Sapienza's heads, to take their due distance from the nostalgics
of hatred and terrorism".
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