Italian protests get colourful

The movement against Berlusconi's anti-democratic ways is still going strong with ongoing demonstrations and protests. I noticed in The Times today that part of that movement has branded itself 'The Purple People'.

Berlusconi, like many right-wing populists before him, has taken it on himself to curtail the right of the courts to investigate his crimes, has little to no regard for internal democracy simply appointing cabinet ministers and candidates as he sees fit and has mounted a continued attack on the legal system every time it acts independently of his will.

The latest episode occurred this weekend when "judges in Milan refused to annul a trial in which Mr Berlusconi is accused of bribing David Mills, his former British tax lawyer and the estranged husband of Tessa Jowell, the Olympics Minister".

I was interested by 'Il Popolo Viola' partly because there seems to be a bit of a habit of using colours to define political movements in Italy. The 'Tute Bianche' (all in white) were a strong leftist political current not long ago. In fact both groups used the slogan 'Ya Basta' (Enough) and talk admiringly of their own 'spontaneity'.

We don't tend to use colours this explicitly in politics over here. The only examples that spring to mind are the highly successful, cough, Red Wedge and the Green Party of course. hopefully Purple will work for these protesters and they'll help to destabilise Berlusconi's rotten regime.