Education Undersecretary Paola Frassinetti met with protests on arriving at a Milan school on Monday to take part in a ceremony commemorating the far-right militant Sergio Ramelli, who was assassinated by left-wing extremists in 1975.
"Shame on you and the (school) principal" and "Fascist scumbags return to the sewers" shouted representatives of the Milan Antifascist Network, the Italian partisan association ANPI and union members gathered in the car park of the Molinari secondary school where the 19-year-old neo-Fascist Youth Front member studied.
"Sergio Ramelli was killed by people who called themselves anti-fascists", so anti-fascism " has many facets", said Frassinetti.
"At that time militant anti-fascism was red-hot, I think that now things have changed and it is important to talk about freedom, participation and democracy," she added.
"I don't think those who stand for these values can call themselves fascists," concluded Frassinetti.
Later on Monday the Milan provincial chapter of Anpi said in a note it did not take part in the protest outside the school.
"Anpi has always strongly condemned the brutal attack on young Ramelli that led to his death after a long agony," said chapter president Roberto Cenati.
"At the same time, we have always stated that this memory should not become the pretext, every April 29, for demonstrations of overt apologia for Fascism organized by the extreme right in Milan".
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