The Leoncavallo social center has announced a national demonstration for September 6th in response to its recent eviction from a building on via Watteau it had occupied for over 30 years. In a social media post, the organization called for a “large march for another Milan and for all cities increasingly marked by red zones, restrictions, entrance tickets, and forced selections.”
A public assembly to organize the march is scheduled for September 2nd at 8:30 PM at the Camera del Lavoro (Chamber of Labor). The demonstration itself will begin at 2:00 PM on September 6th at Porta Venezia.
The center’s statement framed the eviction as a political act, describing autonomous social and cultural spaces as “the antithesis of government fascism.” Activists accused the government of targeting the historic center, known as “the old Leo,” to kick off an electoral campaign for the right-wing Brothers of Italy party ahead of municipal elections. They condemned what they called a “legality made of hatred” towards foreigners, the poor, and the marginalized.
Meanwhile, the Milan city government is expected to publish guidelines tomorrow for a public tender to concession the municipal building on via San Dionigi, which could potentially become the social center’s new home.