Irish republicans at anti-fascist rally in Milan

BY MICHAEL DICKSON

SINN FÉIN members were in Milan to attend the traditional 25 April parade  which commemorates the Italian partisans who died fighting fascism.
Arriving on the Friday night to attend a questions and answers session on Ireland in the Arci Metissage, a left-wing centre, the Irish republicans were up and about the next day for a tour of plaques honouring the anti-fascist fighters who died in the Ticinese district of Milan. Lunch was with partisan veterans, who thanked us for visiting them.
After lunch, the centre of Milan was teeming with 70,000 people at the main parade. Irish republicans marched with the Antifa bloc with their Republicans Against Racism banner.
Later, the Festival Partigiani, featuring 10 bands, saw a huge crowd hear a Sinn Féin speaker make it clear that our nationalism is a progressive nationalism which is internationalist and socialist and has nothing in common with the Right.