Singing stops in Italy as fear and social unrest mount. #TheGuardian
1492 Thursday, 02 April, 2020, 19:15 A few days into Italy’s lockdown, people across the country sang and played music from their balconies as they came together to say “Everything will be alright” (Andrà tutto bene). Three weeks on, the singing has stopped and social unrest is mounting as a significant part of the population, especially in the poorer south, realise that everything is not all right. “They are no longer singing or dancing on the balconies,” said Salvatore Melluso, a priest at Caritas Diocesana di Napoli, a church-run charity in Naples. “Now people are more afraid – not so much of the virus, but of poverty. Many are out of work and hungry. There are now long queues at food banks.” There have been far fewer coronavirus deaths in Italy’s south compared with the worst-affected northern regions, but the pandemic is having a serious impact on livelihoods. Tensions are building across the poorest southern regions of Campania, Calabria, Sicily and Puglia as people run out of food and money. There have been reports of small shop owners being pressured to give food for free, while police are patrolling supermarkets in some areas to stop thefts. The self-employed or those working on contracts that do not guarantee social benefits have lost salaries, and many small businesses may never reopen. |
Germany announces new military aid package for Ukraine, including drones, ammunition, vehicles
348Yesterday, 21:00Ukraine's Zelenskyy warns Putin will push Russia's war "very quickly" onto NATO soil if he's not stopped
360Yesterday, 18:18Russia is gearing up for a big new push along a long front line
257Yesterday, 18:02Thailand moves closer to legalising same-sex unions as parliament passes landmark bill
46027.03.2024, 23:54Statement on the Continued Imprisonment of Armenian Officials and Civilians of the Republic of the Artsakh by the Republic of Azerbaijan
41826.03.2024, 19:54March 24 declared day of mourning in Russia after Moscow attack
79923.03.2024, 17:55They said they would not die for Donbass in Europe
91221.03.2024, 21:00Moldova declares 1 Russian diplomat persona non grata
78120.03.2024, 23:43