A new pro-Palestinian and anti-war demonstration took place at Cagliari-Elmas airport on the day flights were scheduled to arrive and depart from the Israeli city of Tel Aviv .
This is a peaceful protest by the "White Thursday" network, which includes various associations in Sardinia. This morning, a group of activists gathered in the departures hall on the upper level of the airport, waving Palestinian flags and handing out flyers to those present.
The protesters have five objectives : "To abandon rearmament and deny any collaboration with current wars, to sever all relations with Israel, to shift the funding earmarked for rearmament to education and healthcare, to guarantee freedom of expression and demonstration even in schools and at work, and to restore respect for the Constitution."
The sit-in sparked protests from the Chenàbura Sardos Pro Israel association: "Once again, Cagliari-Elmas airport is being used as the backdrop for a political meeting to publicize ideas unworthy of our region and democracy," they wrote in a statement. "Once again, Elmas airport offers the sad spectacle of a Jew-hunt. Because now we no longer say 'Jew': the shared anti-racist values of our society prohibit it."
And he continues: "We ask for an end to these demonstrations, which have nothing to do with expressing 'dissent towards the Italian or Israeli government,' but are instead a real stigmatization and discrimination against ordinary travelers in a public place."
Michele Pais, a member of the League and former president of the Sardinian Regional Council, also spoke on the issue. "I express my full solidarity with the Jewish people. Airports are strategic infrastructure and places where everyone must be guaranteed full freedom of movement and travel, without fear, pressure, or intimidation. No passenger should feel threatened because they are Jewish, Israeli, or simply because they are headed to Tel Aviv. We demand," he concluded, "that the competent authorities simultaneously guarantee the democratic right to demonstrate and the right of travelers to move freely and safely, intervening firmly in the face of any discriminatory or intimidating behavior."
