by Giovanni Giacalone
In October 2024, the Washington Outsider published the first part of an in-depth article on the Italian anti-US far-left groups that are exploiting the “Palestinian cause” for their own benefit. The article, entitled “The anti-US far-left subversive groups in Italy and the “Palestinian cause”, can be read here. After months of careful monitoring, it’s now appropriate to share more information.
Italy is a historical NATO member state positioned in favor of Ukraine, and all this is clearly a problem for neo-communist formations such as Potere al Popolo (Power to the People), OSA (Alternative Student Opposition), Cambiare Rotta (Changing Route), Rete dei Comunisti (Communist Network), and indeed CARC (Committee for the Support of Communist Resistance) and the New Communist Party (NPCI).
Without going into details about CARC, since its history is available in part 1 of this report, it is just worth recalling that it was founded in early 1993 to play a vanguard role among the proletarian masses, inspired by revolutionary Marxism-Leninism and many of its leaders are indicated as linked to the New Communist Party (NPCI).
On its website, CARC often refers to the NPCI as a “brother party”:
“The (n)Pci and the P.Carc are brother parties: they share a conception of the world, a balance of the communist movement, an analysis of the course of things, a general line, but they play different roles.”
However, there are reasons to believe that several of CARC’s leaders and members are also NPCI members.
Interestingly enough, the NPCI is so “clandestine” (as its leaders claim) that it even has its own website up and running, with directives on how to safely communicate with its leadership. A website that was never taken down by the Italian authorities, which says it all. The NPCI also provided information on US military bases in Aviano and Vicenza and incited a struggle against the US and NATO, as indicated in a notice dated November 12, 2024.
The CARC (and the NPCI indeed) have been constantly exploiting the “Palestinian cause” to spread anti-US, anti-NATO propaganda and incite subversive activity against the current Meloni-led government.
The Palestinian groups active on Italian soil such as UDAP (Arab-Palestinian Democratic Union), Giovani Palestinesi (Young Palestinians) and API (Association of Palestinians in Italy) have been taking advantage of the networks provided by the far-left to spread their anti-Israel propaganda.
The anti-Israel campaign is the useful common cause that connects the Palestinian groups with the far left; however, as situations on the international level evolve, the repercussions are felt within these anachronistic groups which often tend to make mistakes.
Over the last month, CARC made two big mistakes that revealed inconvenient elements.
Firstly, a trip to Moscow on April 22 by a CARC delegation taking part in the International Anti-Fascist Forum, organized by the Russian Communist Party. As indicated by the group on its own website, this was the first trip to Russia ever made by CARC representatives:
“This is the first time that a delegation of the P.Carc visits the Russian Federation: we thank the comrades of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation for this opportunity.”
CARC claims to aim at coping with the spiral of “World War Three”, which can be translated into trying to oppose NATO’s support to Ukraine. In whose interest? Russia indeed. Moreover, the US and Israeli pressure on the Iranian regime, a historical partner of Russia in the Middle East, falls into the same box. Therefore, could it be that CARC is now trying to look for more support in Russia?
CARC’s second mistake has to do with an episode that took place on April 25 in Rome, during the celebrations for Liberation Day, when Italy commemorates the victory against Nazism and Fascism.
As reported by the Italian newspaper Il Giornale and by the news site Fanpage, during the celebrations at Rome’s Porta San Paolo, organized by CARC, PPL, the Palestinian groups and other far-left agglomerates, an individual indicated as a “CARC militant” raised the green Hamas flag while standing next to other demonstrators carrying a “Palestinian resistance” banner belonging to the Young Palestinians. However, the individual was quickly isolated in a corner by other far-left demonstrators and his flag was taken away from him, with a consequent argument between demonstrators.
Part of the scene was filmed during a livestream and the individual appears to be puzzled and surprised by the reaction of the other demonstrators.
CARC must have realized that this was a serious issue for its own credibility and, in a statement dated April 26 published on its website, the group attempted to present a different version, blaming the police and the mainstream media:
“Finally, we take this opportunity to denounce the disinformation and denigration promoted by some mainstream media (Fan Page and Il Giornale) in the phases following the entrance into Porta San Paolo, reporting the news (made up entirely of fabrications) that our militants were removed and excluded from the square after attempting to display a Hamas flag. In reality, the square defended those who briefly displayed that flag and if our militants had been present at that moment, they would have contributed to its defense. However, we did not even witness the scene and the fake news is revealed at this point for what it is: a news item from some police officer perhaps disturbed by the contribution and role assumed by the P.CARC in determining the important square yesterday morning.”
However, this statement was a significant mistake, for a series of reasons:
- The livestream images show supporters with CARC flags a few meters away from where the fact occurred. As a matter of fact, the national director of the CARC, Andrea De Marchis, was present and even spoke microphone in hand to the people. Since CARC claimed to have “reconquered” Porta San Paolo on April 25, how is it possible that its militants were not present at the main symbolic feat? (The laying down of the crown in memory of the Partisans). How could they not have witnessed the scene?
- CARC stated that “the square defended those who displayed the Hamas flag”. However, the images show a verbal confrontation going on between demonstrators. Which square is CARC talking about?
Furthermore, individuals with UDAP and Palestinian Students banners, groups consistently aligned with the CARC, were alongside the protester with the Hamas flag and did not intervene when the individual in question was removed. Could this perhaps highlight a split within the pro-PAL “coalition”?
Reliable sources present in Porta San Paolo have also reported that the demonstrators had been warned by the Italian authorities that the display of flags praising terrorist groups would lead to the immediate evacuation of the square. It is therefore plausible that the demonstrations “order service” immediately rushed to avoid such consequences.
On April 23, the CARC published on its website a call to “reclaim the square” in Porta San Paolo, citing the “Coordination of solidarity with the Palestinian people of Rome” (that includes collectives, PPL, social centers, CARC, etc.) which had launched an appeal for an “anti-Zionist mobilization” on April 25 for the “construction of a united front”.
However, the alleged “united front” seems to have split over the Hamas flag and the “far left/pro-pal” propaganda narrative is starting to take on water as internal disagreements become increasingly evident.
Moreover, many among the broader Italian left wing did not appreciate the overbearing way in which the Palestinians tried to appropriate the April 25 holiday, trying to divert attention towards their own cause, often with Islamist-style scenes, as seen in Milan.
In conclusion, the far-left CARC/NPCI/pro-Pal militant area is showing increasing cracks from within, and the clumsy attempts to hide them through propagandist statements only make the hurdle faced by CARC/NPCI far more evident.
