Militia (Italian neo-Nazi group)

Militia (Italian: Milizia) is an Italian neo-Nazi[1] group founded by Maurizio Boccacci, the former leader of the banned Western Political Movement.[2]

The group first came to attention in 2008 when Boccacci was prosecuted over anti-semitic and Holocaust denialist graffiti.[3]

Further prosecutions in 2010 followed raids against the group, prompted by further anti-semitic graffiti which had been put up in response to statements by political and religious leaders supporting the continued existence of Israel. Among the items seized in the raids were machetes, baseball bats, an Israeli Army uniform, and tools used for painting graffiti.[4]

Boccacci and four other members were arrested in December 2011 by the Special Operations Group of the Italian Carabinieri. The group had made threats against Riccardo Pacifici, President of Rome's Jewish community, Gianni Alemanno, Mayor of Rome, Gianfranco Fini, President of the Chamber of Deputies, and Renato Schifani, President of the Italian Senate.[5] They are believed to have plotted a bombing targeting Pacifici.[5]

References
  1. "Five arrested in Rome for plotting against Jewish community". JTA. 14 December 2011.
  2. Fabio Tonacci; Francesco Viviano (14 December 2011). "Operazione contro l'estrema destraIn carcere Boccacci e altri 4 di Militia" (in Italian). Rome: la Repubblica.
  3. Massimo Lugli (13 November 2008). "Striscioni antisemiti di "Militia" denunciato l´ultrà Maurizio Boccacci". la Republica.
  4. Fabio Di Chio (22 May 2010). "Escalation contro gli ebrei; Quattro indagati di Militia". Il Tempo. Archived from the original on 2012-04-07. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  5. Palash R. Ghosh (14 December 2011). "Italian Police Arrest Extreme Rightists; No Clear Link to Florence Massacre". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013.
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