Verona city council on Thursday
night approved a rightwing League motion declaring Verona "a
pro-life city" and funding Catholic anti-abortion groups,
sparking a storm of reaction.
During the vote, the women's group Non Una Di Meno (Not One
Woman Less) protested wearing dresses from the TV adpatation of
Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel The Handmaid's Tale.
Verona MP Alessia Rotta of the centre-left opposition
Democratic Party (PD) said "in the night Verona and its women
citizens were hit by an unacceptable slap in the face".
She said "the vote took us back to years when women died of
widespread backstreet abortions".
PD deputy chair Barbara Pollastrini said the vote "represents
a symbolic and grave step backwards with respect to a serious
and important law like the 194 (abortion law of 1975)".
She urged the PD council leader, who voted with the League,
to apologise for supporting the motion.
PD bigwig and Lazio Governor Nicola Zingaretti said "you
don't respect life if you don't respect the choices of women,
especially when they are difficult like an abortion.
"Italy has a serious law, the 194, which must be applied".
Zingaretti said the Verona vote "is not on. You can't proceed
with ideological coups de main on such delicate issues".
Monica Cirinnà, sponsor of last year's civil unions
legislation, said "I'm disgusted" and, referring to the PD
caucus leader's vote, added: "The PD must be more leftwing".
PD leader Maurizio Martina said "hands off the 194, there can
be no ambiguity...no return to the Middle Ages".
The anti-migrant Euroskeptic League is in government with the
anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S).
The League's Family Minister Lorenzo Fontana is pro-life.
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