Vandalism
Antisemitic graffiti in Lecce
4 cases of vandalism were registered in Rome , Asti , Udine , and Turin in January 2013. All four cases involved anti-Semitic graffiti. On February 8th buildings in the Italian city of Fiuggi were defaced with the following anti-Semitic graffiti: “Anna Frank is a liar” and “Holocaust is a fraud”, as well as swastika images. On March 6th multiple anti-Semitic graffiti were painted on the walls of the «Liceo Kennedy» public school in Rome. On May 16th anti-Semitic graffiti were reported in Venice. In June anti-Semitic graffiti were reported in Verona , Rome , and Padua. On August 5th more anti-Semitic graffiti appeared in Rome.
In 2014, synagogues in several Italian cities have been vandalised: Vercelli (July 18 ), Rome (30 and 31 July ), Gorizia (August 5 ). On January 24, Israeli Embasy, a synagogue in Roma and a Museum holding a Holocaust exposition received parcels containing severed pig heads. On January 24, in Rome, a slogan against Ariel Sharon and Riccardo Pacifici, head of the roman jewish community, saying „Sharon bandit, Pacifici bandit, Juden bandit“ («Sharon boia, Pacifici boia e juden boia») and signed with the name of a right-wing-extremist-group called “Militia” were found. On July 28, more than 70 posters with Nazi symbols and anti-Israel rhetoric appeared across Rome. On July 16, Israeli flag at EXPO exhibition in Milan was desecrated. On August 8, several posters calling for boycott against Israel and any “Jewish products and merchants” were found across Rome. Posters were signed by “Militia”, which is a right-wing extremist group. On August 8, it was reported that an anti-Israel poster has been hanging in Livorno, despite complaints of the Jewish community. On August 20, anti-Semitic “anti-Zionist” leaflets were posted in Turin. On August 27, an anti-Semitic poster depicting the Star of David over a curled snake was found in Montserrat. The poster was accompanied by a swastika and subtitle “Masters of the World”. On August 29, anti-Semitic posters were displayed in a coffee shop in Genoa.
According to data collected by NGOs in 2015, 17 cases of vandalism (8 of them arson) were recorded in Italy, as well as 46 cases of xenophobic graffiti.
In 2018 there was a total of 253 acts of hate vandalism, including 188 cases of desecration of burial sites, 50 cases of desecration of places of worship, and 15 cases of other vandalism. In 2019 the situation slightly improved: there was one arson, 152 cases of destruction of graves, 42 cases of desecration of places of worship, and 21 cases of other vandalism. In 2020 there were 158 cases of vandalism in cemeteries, 47 cases of desecration of places of worship, one arson, and 41 cases of other vandalism.
