Florence is bracing for another student demonstration today as education minister Giuseppe Valditara arrives in the city to attend the Festival of Regions, also attended by President Sergio Mattarella.
The protest follows Saturday’s march against the rising cost of living, which was punctuated by tense moments, as protestors sought to access via de’ Tornabuoni.
Today, demonstrators are expected to gather in piazza Santa Maria Novella at around 1pm–1.30pm. A large area around piazza del Duomo will be closed off to the public as events for the L’Italia delle Regioni festival take place at several venues across the city.
The demonstration has been organized by student groups protesting against government education policies and calling for greater investment in schools. Under the slogan “Teachers and students for a better school”, the K1 student collective at Liceo Machiavelli-Capponi high school has outlined its demands, including 10 billion euro in funding for schools rather than rearmament, improved maintenance of school buildings and an end to precarious employment among teachers. Students are also calling for sex and relationship education projects, greater attention to their needs and an end to what they describe as the “militarization” of schools.
In a statement announcing the protest, the collective said it was unacceptable for Valditara to visit Florence without students making their opposition heard.
“Once again, we will be there,” the statement reads. “We, the students of Florence, alongside the teachers who support our struggle, will take to the streets to reaffirm that schools belong to us, that the student movement is continuing and that we cannot keep accepting this situation in silence.”
University student collectives have also joined the call for today’s demonstration. Police are expected to deploy a substantial contingent, with additional reinforcements arriving in the city.
On Friday, October 16, more than 2,000 students took part in a separate Florence demonstration against school funding cuts and the Valditara decree introducing a cap on the proportion of foreign students in individual classes.
The protests have also been accompanied by a wave of school occupations across Florence, with students using the sit-ins to draw attention to funding cuts, the state of school facilities and what they see as the government’s misplaced priorities for education.
Florence mayor Sara Funaro said police were monitoring the situation ahead of the protest. “Our hope is that the demonstration can take place peacefully, allowing students to express their reasons and put forward the demands for which they believe answers are needed, but always in a peaceful manner.”
