Busto Arsizio, town of young people against all kinds of mafia.

It was the confirmation of a successful project, capable of stirring up many young people not only in Busto Arsizio, and which could become a model in Europe thanks to the interest shown by at least two MEPs. This is the second ”Legalìtalia in Primavera” meeting, the biggest in Northern Italy against all kinds of mafia, taking place in Busto Arsizio. It has hit his target again, and the number of the students doubled, compared to that of the first meeting. At least 6,000 students took part in the event organised by ”Ammazzateci Tutti Lombardia”, from the representatives of Busto Arsizio’s high schools and, for the first time, by the Provincial School Council who brought to Busto at least ,.000 young people coming from schools in the rest of the province of Varese.

Students participated with great interest in the morning meetings, and basically filled up all the town’s auditoriums, where eminent orators told them that there is a fight against mafia in Italy, that mafia is expanding in the whole country, posing themselves as the main obstacle for growth: ”Mafia and corruption cost citizens about €130 billions every year” said writer and journalist Orfeo Notaristefano, “we cannot afford them, so we have to destroy them and it can be done, if you young people want it.”

Rosario Crocetta, former mayor of Gela, MEP and vice-president of the new anti-mafia commission of the European Parliament, attended the meeting also this year. ”This year we decided to give the Chinnici award (in memory of another magistrate victim of mafia, editor’s note) to ”Ammazzateci Tutti Lombardia” for their great efforts for legality and against mafia, and I announce that I will come to Busto with the anti-mafia European commission to delve deeper in the theme of mafia in Northern Italy.” Crocetta was accompanied during the event by his colleague Lara Comi, of the People of Freedom Party, who confirmed the idea of bringing the anti-mafia European commission to town.

Massimo Brugnone is extremely happy: ”This is not a repetition of what was done last year, if only for the fact that participation has doubled.” said Lombardy’s co-ordinator of ”Ammazzateci Tutti”. For Giulio Cavalli, the important thing is that ”This square must remain full also after Legalitàlia, we must stay together because many take advantage if we are separated. In 2005, such an event would not have even been conceivable” he continues, “but why did we realise this so late in this region? After all, we also had our deaths, we had 150 kidnappings, the deaths from heroin overdose in the Eighties. We must tell ourselves that our fathers did do something wrong.” On the final stage, there were also Busto Arsizio’s mayor, Gigi Farioli, who talked about Busto as the ”capital of anti-mafia sentiments, and I’m glad that the anti-mafia European commission has taken interest in coming here together with our almost honorary citizen, Rosario Crocetta.” and the councillor for culture Mario Crespi who ”crowned” Massimo Brugnone ”a beacon for legality in Busto Arsizio.”, to close an underlying dispute that took place in the days before Legalitàlia.