Author Archives: raven

Barricades were and are a recurring element in urban conflicts. It is important to understand their origin and development in order to comprehend their historical and current function. The barricade was born in Paris in 1588 during the Day of the Barricades, an episode of the eighth war of religion in France. Parisians used barrels filled with earth and stones to block the streets and defend themselves from the troops of King Henry III. This construction system gave the object … Read more

The film “Diaz: Don’t Clean Up This Blood” (2012), directed by Daniele Vicari, reconstructs a key episode in recent European political memory: the police repression during the G8 summit in Genoa. It is a work focused on institutional violence and the cover-up of events that took place at the Armando Diaz School. The historical context is set in July 2001, during the G8 counter-summit in Genoa, when thousands of people mobilized against the global neoliberal model. The raid on the … Read more

The term “fascism” is often used in a broad sense to describe authoritarian behaviors, but its academic meaning requires distinguishing three fundamental definitions. First, it refers to the historical Italian phenomenon; second, to the European authoritarian regimes of the interwar period; and third, to an analytical category of authoritarianism applicable to broader contexts. This distinction is essential to avoid imprecise uses of the concept. The first meaning identifies fascism with the political movement led by Benito Mussolini in Italy between … Read more

We are launching an analysis process at ECOAR))) through which we hope to clearly define the main lines that will shape the project over the coming decade. To carry out this process, we would like to count on as many voices and perspectives as possible. And this is where you come in!! Why is it important that you participate? Because we strongly believe that each and every one of us brings a perspective that others do not have. Because we … Read more

The song “Bella Ciao” is an anonymous Italian folk anthem, transmitted for years through oral tradition in the northern regions of Italy. Its exact origin is uncertain, but it has become an internationally recognized cultural symbol of antifascist resistance. Its earliest roots can be traced back to the second half of the 19th century, linked to the “mondine”, women working in the rice fields of the Po Valley. These women used protest songs to denounce harsh working conditions: exhausting workdays, … Read more

The term “fascism” comes from the Latin fasces, which in ancient Rome referred to a bundle of rods tied around an axe. This symbol represented the authority and power of magistrates to punish citizens, as well as the strength that comes from unity: a single rod can be easily broken, but a bundle is unbreakable. The Italian word fascio (bundle) gave its name to the “Fasci di Combattimento”, founded by Benito Mussolini in Milan on March 23, 1919, deliberately reclaiming … Read more

In recent weeks, the city of Minneapolis has become a laboratory of civil resistance against operations conducted by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). The migrant community and its allies have deployed a range of strategies combining the tradition of social movements with creative approaches to protect their neighbors. Documented by local and national media, these actions provide a repertoire of tactics that can be replicated in other contexts. The Minneapolis experience echoes historical struggles, from neighborhood alert networks … Read more

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have become popular as tools to protect online identity and bypass censorship, and they are widely used by journalists and activists. However, protection is not automatic: it depends on the provider’s integrity and business model. Choosing a service requires evaluating its logging policy, jurisdiction, and monetization practices. Investigations, such as those conducted by Zimperium, have revealed that more than 65% of free mobile VPN applications contain vulnerabilities or collect data without consent, enabling its sale to … Read more