Bologna, 45th anniversary of the massacre. Mattarella: "A ruthless neo-fascist subversive strategy."
BOLOGNA – Bologna does not forget. On the 45th anniversary of the train station massacre, the city remembers the 85 victims and 200 injured. The commemoration begins at Palazzo d'Accursio with a meeting between institutions and the victims' family association, followed by a procession from Via Ugo Bassi to Piazza delle Medaglie d'Oro, and official speeches, interrupted by the triple whistle of a locomotive introducing a minute of silence at 10:25 a.m., the time the bomb exploded on August 2, 1980.
Minister Anna Maria Bernini also spoke in the courtyard of Palazzo d'Accursio ("It's an honor and a source of pride to be here"), but was challenged by a citizen who received applause from those present. Then the procession set off for the station: Paolo Bolognesi was greeted by thunderous applause; it was his last procession as president of the family association.
President Mattarella declared the massacre an "indelible sign of inhumanity brought about by a ruthless neo-fascist subversive strategy aimed at attacking constitutional values, social achievements, and, with them, our very civil coexistence." Bolognesi's speech was widely applauded, even when he attacked Prime Minister Meloni: "Condemning the Bologna massacre without acknowledging and condemning its fascist roots is like condemning the fruit of a poisonous plant, while continuing to water its roots."
Key points
"We must continue to walk together to achieve truth and justice, and we will do so for Ustica as well," Lepore said from the stage. "In recent days, I met with the National Coordination of Families of All the Massacres, and they accepted the proposal to make our city their headquarters. We will fight oblivion because those who mortally wounded our cities have faith in time. Then, together, we will create a Memorial Park next to the station, green like hope, red like memory. We will unseal 11 hectares at Ravone, behind which the Memorial Center will be located: we want everyone to be able to visit it for the moral and civil rebirth of our country."
"Bolognesi has the right to give the longest and most detailed speech, full of interpretations I don't agree with, and I will listen to him with great respect," Minister Bernini said. She was referring to any references to current events and the current government. "On stage, my dissent will be silent," she explained to some officials at the end of her speech.
After Bolognesi and the minute of silence, Mayor Matteo Lepore spoke. "I'd like to thank the magistrates, the lawyers, and the family association. I'd like to mention in particular Magistrate Mario Amato, killed by the NAR. His children have asked me to name a square or street in the city after their father: it would be a true honor for Bologna." And turning to Bolognesi, he said, "Paolo, allow me to hug you. It's a gesture the entire square would like to make."
It is the most moving moment of the commemoration of the massacre: the triple blast of the locomotive's whistle and the minute of silence for the victims of the massacre.
"Next year, a new president will speak from this stage, elected by today's assembly of the association of relatives of the victims of the August 2, 1980, massacre. They will nominate Paolo Lambertini, the current vice president, a position he has held for nine years, son of Mirella Fornasari, a Cigar employee who died in the massacre. For my part, I will continue my commitment and contribute as honorary president of the Association. The leaves may change, but we will preserve our roots," Paolo Bolognesi concluded his speech, late for the 10:25 a.m. minute of silence.
"How have we, our families, managed to survive all these years," the young people ask. "We've been like trees that shed their leaves but leave their roots intact." These are the moving words of Paolo Bolognesi.
"Figures like Bellini's reveal a dark thread that the Anti-Mafia Commission should have investigated, delving deeper into ties between the Mafia and the Secret Services, but is failing to do so," Bolognesi stated. "From this stage, I reiterate my opposition to the nomination of Chiara Colosimo" as president of the Parliamentary Anti-Mafia Commission.
The historic verdicts in the massacre arrived in 2025, with the definitive life sentences for Cavallini and Bellini. "This splendid result is also thanks to our defense team, composed of lawyers Lisa Baravelli, Alessia Merluzzi, and Alessandro Forti, coordinated by lawyer Andrea Speranzoni, who with great dedication and commitment brought this historic legal undertaking to fruition." More applause from the square, with Democratic Party secretary Elly Schlein also joining in.
"The P2 plan included the separation of careers, which the government intends to implement as a reform. We express concern about Article 31 of the security decree: it seems like a tribute paid to those who had sworn allegiance to the Constitution but have in fact distanced themselves from it, attempting to undermine democracy," thunders Bolognesi.
From the thousands gathered in Piazza Medaglie d'Oro at Bologna's train station, President Paolo Bolognesi received sustained applause, while Senate President Ignazio La Russa and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni were jeered. "To the Prime Minister, who has accused us of wanting to expose her to retaliation, by remembering the past from which she comes, as well as the past from which the perpetrators of the massacres came, we want to say that respect for institutions is one thing, but accepting self-interested rewritings of history is another, something we are absolutely not prepared to allow," said Paolo Bolognesi, president of the August 2nd Association, from the stage at Bologna's train station. "President Meloni," he said, "condemning the Bologna massacre without acknowledging and condemning its fascist roots is like condemning the fruit of a poisonous plant while continuing to water its roots."
Paolo Bolognesi speaks from the stage in Piazza Medaglie d'Oro for the last time as president of the Association of Victims' Relatives. "We must recognize that certain individuals have only one way to emerge well from this affair: not to talk about it, to hope it will be forgotten. The preferential treatment reserved for the perpetrators of the massacre is incredible. Those serving multiple life sentences, who have never repented, are now free. It's a fact that all the perpetrators joined the MSI."
To the attack of August 2, 1980, "Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, and Italy responded promptly and firmly, expressing all the solidarity they are capable of, rejecting—Mattarella further emphasizes—the destabilizing plan, the complicity present even within state apparatuses, and the plots of those who led the massacre." "On this anniversary, we renew our sympathy to the families of the victims. This is the expression of a cohesive community that adheres to those democratic principles that the perpetrators of the massacre sought to erase, generating fear to undermine institutions, seeking to push the country toward authoritarianism, with responsibilities established thanks to the tenacious work of magistrates and public servants. The testimony of the Association of Victims' Families, which has always kept the light shining on the path that led to the uncovering of the perpetrators and instigators, is worthy of the Republic's gratitude," Mattarella concludes. "It is a precious example of fidelity to constitutional values, especially for young people."
"The Bologna train station massacre has left an indelible mark of inhumanity on Italy's identity, the result of a ruthless neo-fascist subversive strategy aimed at undermining constitutional values, social achievements, and, with them, our very civil coexistence. August 2, forty-five years ago, with the mangled bodies, the many innocent deaths, the immense suffering of family members, the upheaval of a city and, with it, the entire national community, is etched in the nation's memory," stated the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella.
"This must be said: the rest of Italy also has the right to truth and justice. Let the self-styled Minister of Justice take care of it." These are the words of Pier Luigi Bersani, who took the stage at Due Agosto in Piazza Medaglie d'Oro.
Lamberto Forni, president of the ANPI Baricella, holding the flag of the partisans' association, says that "it's important to be here because we are anti-fascists and we recognize this massacre as fascist; it's in our DNA to be present in this story. Unfortunately, after 45 years, the impression is that even today, some people don't want to acknowledge the truth, but we now know the truth."
In his final speech at Palazzo d'Accursio as president of the association of victims' families, Paolo Bolognesi returned to the directive from the director of the state archives that would make it difficult to consult the rulings on the train station bombing and other matters. "In our opinion, it's not a bureaucratic obstacle, but rather a hindrance to our progress. Since progress can still be made, it almost seems like they're trying to prevent us from moving forward. For some people, we've gone too far," he stated. These "directives are against the law because rulings are public documents and should be treated as such; they have no secrets to maintain," Bolognesi noted. "The fact that someone goes to request a ruling of this kind and wastes months simply to get answers as to why it isn't being given, I believe is a move toward concealment," he concluded.
Leading the thousands of participants in the procession was bus number 37, which on August 2, 1980, driven by Agide Melloni, carried the bodies of those who died at the station to the morgue.
As every year, the procession to Bologna station was very well attended.
The Bologna massacre "is an obscene, subversive massacre, which the magistrates have defined as neo-fascist in nature." Minister Anna Maria Bernini emphasized this during the demonstration.
"It seems to me that last year's picture is confirmed. On the one hand, we have a judicial reconstruction confirmed by the sentences, and on the other, we have government officials resisting this," says historian and writer Benedetta Tobagi, marching in the procession. "I was there last year too, and I always try to come when possible. Being here is a very powerful experience because it's not just a rhetorical memory. And I'm here not only because it's the 45th anniversary, but also because it's the year of Bellini's final conviction. This confirms P2 as the instigator of the massacre. This is a place where there is no rhetorical memory."
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The procession set off amidst applause and will arrive in Piazza Medaglie d'Oro. Leading the procession were Paolo Bolognesi, current president of the victims' families association, and his deputy, Paolo Lambertini, who will replace him.
I also thank Bolognesi for everything we disagree on, because that's democracy. Thank you. I may disagree with you on things I don't believe in, but I will, as always, respect your work because memory is at the heart of it. On behalf of this government, I say that we are not afraid of the truth. And to the victims' families: your wound is my wound too.
Minister Bernini speaks from the courtyard of Palazzo d'Accursio and expresses her gratitude: "It's an honor and a source of pride for me to be here representing the government." But a protest immediately erupts, with a citizen holding up a banner that reads: "Government not credible on August 2nd: like then, more fascist actions, complicity with NATO, and the P2 plan." The man repeats these words, drawing applause from the audience. But Bernini, speaking from the microphone, says: "I don't agree with a word, but I will fight to the end so that you can say it."
Michele de Pascale emphasizes that this is the first time he's represented the Region. Those who organized the massacre "hadn't considered the nature of this land and this city. I don't think anyone could have imagined that we would be here today with the truth in our hands. No one could have imagined it, yet this strength is thanks to you and says so much about our land. Emilia-Romagna is a land that, like few others, has been the victim of political terrorism. Why so much hatred? Because it's a land that loves the truth, and for those who don't love freedom, this land can only be an enemy."
Democratic Party secretary Elly Schlein also attended the commemoration of the massacre in Bologna. She was at Palazzo d'Accursio, the seat of the municipality, where the August 2nd Memorial Day began.
"We have reached an important conclusion" with the Cavallini and Bellini sentences, Bologna Mayor Matteo Lepore emphasized from Palazzo d'Accursio. And it was achieved "thanks to the courts and family associations."
"I'll be speaking from the stage and giving a long speech after 45 years," previews Paolo Bolognesi , the outgoing president of the victims' families association. "I wanted to thank the judges of the Attorney General's Office who conducted the investigations that led to the trial of the instigators, which allows us to say that we know the entire background to the massacre. But this also opens up new scenarios and new trials that could rewrite part of our country's history. As for current events, I spoke on the phone with Minister Bernini about the law that would help resolve the issue of compensation for the victims' families. Piantedosi had said that would be resolved by the end of last year."
As mentioned, this year, due to the tram construction site on Via Indipendenza, the procession will start from Via Ugo Bassi. And while institutions and families of the victims are meeting at Palazzo d'Accursio, the head of the procession is preparing on Via Ugo Bassi with the banner that opens the annual procession of citizens to the station: "Bologna does not forget." Many have already photographed it and shared it online.
This year, a minister from Bologna will represent the government at the commemoration of the train station massacre: Anna Maria Bernini, Minister of University and Research, met with Paolo Bolognesi, President of the Association of Victims' Relatives.
Anyone passing through the high-speed train hall at Bologna station these days will encounter faces. They are portraits of about twenty victims of the station massacre , created by cartoonists from the Bologna Academy of Fine Arts . "It's shocking to think that many of those people were our age, and just because they were passing by when the bomb exploded, they're no longer here. But above all, what struck us was what happened after the explosion, the sense of community that was created, representative of the spirit of Bologna."
Manuela Basso was just five years old on August 2, 1980, waiting for her father to arrive. He was late, having missed his train. She went into the waiting room to call and warn her family. Then, at 10:25 a.m., the explosion. "When my mom turned on the TV, she immediately understood and broke down. Theirs was a great love." Manuela Basso set off on her bicycle from Padua to join the procession in Bologna today.
The final rulings on the Bologna Massacre "are a point of arrival," but the trials "also tell us a lot about the involvement of state apparatuses and the level of political involvement in the attack." After the trials that led to the latest Supreme Court rulings for Cavallini and Bellini, lawyer Andrea Speranzoni , who heads the association's legal team, draws conclusions.
"I know, but I don't have the proof," wrote Pier Paolo Pasolini in 1974, commenting on the attempted coups that followed the neo-fascist attacks of those years. Today, however, regarding the August 2nd massacre, even 45 years after the attack, "we know and we have the proof" of who carried out, inspired, and financed the massacre. How and why the P2 Lodge and Licio Gelli paid the neo-fascists to carry out the Bologna massacre, then misleading the investigation to prevent the truth, will be explored in an initiative by Cantiere Bologna scheduled for this evening in Piazza Maggiore after the traditional concert and entitled "Today We Know, and We Have the Proof."
Bologna will have its own Memorial Park, modeled on the one in Buenos Aires, dedicated to the disappeared and inaugurated in 2007. It will be built at the former Ravone railway yard and will tell the story of all the terrorist and mafia massacres in Italy, not just those of August 2nd. It will also house the Memorial Center, the home for the archives of the association of victims' families invoked yesterday in Repubblica by Vice President Paolo Lambertini , who will take over today from the longtime president, Paolo Bolognesi .
Forty-five years after the massacre, Dolores D'Elia has only one wish: "To meet again the patients admitted to the ninth floor of the Maggiore Hospital on August 2, 1980. And their relatives." A nurse, just 27 years old, on that supposedly "quiet" summer Saturday, she and her colleagues faced a warlike scenario.
For the second consecutive year, the August 2nd procession has had its route changed due to the tram construction site on Via Indipendenza. This time, it will depart from Via Ugo Bassi.
The commemoration of the massacre at the station begins shortly after 8:00 a.m. at Palazzo d'Accursio, where the victims' families meet with officials. This year, Bologna Minister Anna Maria Bernini is participating on behalf of the government. Then, the procession begins, exceptionally this year leading thousands of citizens from Via Ugo Bassi to Piazza Medaglie d'Oro, in front of Bologna's central station. Official speeches are then delivered by Mayor Matteo Lepore and the president of the families' association, Paolo Bolognesi. These speeches are interrupted at 10:25 a.m. by the triple whistle of a locomotive, marking the start of a minute's silence.
Following this, at 10:50 a.m., wreaths will be laid in the station waiting room where the bomb exploded, as well as on the first platform near the memorial stone commemorating railway worker Silver Sirotti, who died in the Italicus train disaster. At 11:15 a.m., Mass will be celebrated by Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi in the Church of San Benedetto on Via Indipendenza.
On the 45th anniversary of the Bologna train station massacre, Paolo Bolognesi, outgoing president of the victims' families association, directly attacks the government: "The strategy of tension isn't over. We're in it; keep in mind what the government is doing."
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