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The event organized by Libera with public notice will start at 9 am from Corso Venezia and will end in Piazza Duomo. The program of initiatives was presented today - The - Photo gallery

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Milan, March 13 2023 – After thirteen years, the national demonstration organized by Libera and Notice public under the High Patronage of the Presidency of the Republic returns to Milan to celebrate the XXVIII Day of Remembrance and Commitment in memory of the innocent victims of the mafia. The procession will leave at 9 am from Corso Venezia to arrive in Piazza Duomo around 11 am.

The initiative, created in collaboration with Rai and with the patronage of the Municipality of Milan and the Lombardy Region, was presented this afternoon at Palazzo Marino by the Mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala and the president of Libera Don Luigi Ciotti, together with Lucilla Andreucci of the Libera bureau and the national president of Public Notice Roberto Montà.

There will be over 500 family members of innocent victims of the mafia who will arrive in the Lombard capital from all over Italy to take part in the event. After the difficult years of the pandemic, it will therefore be possible to physically bridge the distances and translate the "we" that has always animated Libera's commitment into a big and warm hug aimed at them.

March 21st is not a date as an end in itself, but has always been the stage in a commitment that lasts 365 days a year in schools, universities, associations, parishes and everywhere citizens live that responsibility for the common good which is the first antidote to the evil of mafias and corruption.

In fact, there is an Italy that rebels against indifference, illegality, mafias and corruption that devastates common goods and steals hope. An Italy aware that civil and peaceful coexistence is based on social justice, the dignity and freedom of every person. An Italy that on March 21st mobilizes with moments of reading, reflection, meetings to remember the victims: ordinary citizens, magistrates, journalists, members of the police force, priests, entrepreneurs, trade unionists, political representatives and local administrators who died at the hands of the mafia only because, with rigor, they fulfilled their duty.

The Day promoted by Libera, recognized by the State since 2017, will see a large participation this year too: young people, associations, groups, representatives of institutions, of the union, of the world of school, of culture, of sport.

The procession will start at 9 am from Corso Venezia and arrive in Piazza Duomo, where around 11 am the reading of the names of all 1.069 innocent victims of the mafia will begin. Don Luigi Ciotti will give the final speech.

On the afternoon of March 21st, some in-depth seminars and screenings aimed at groups and schools will be held. The complete calendar will be available on the site in the next few days www.libera.it.

The day before, Monday 20 March, at 15 pm, Milan will welcome hundreds of family members from Calabria, Sicily, Puglia, Campania and Northern Italy to the State University of Milan for the National Assembly. Following, at 18 pm, the ecumenical vigil is scheduled at the Basilica of Santo Stefano Maggiore.

Libera chose to return to Milan because this year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the mafia massacre in Via Palestro in which five people lost their lives, to reiterate that the mafia and corruption are a national and international problem and because, in the era of "entrepreneurial" mafias " who shoot less not because of moral constraints but thanks to a global economic system that allows them to enrich themselves almost in the shadows and without causing too many alarms, it becomes essential to denounce the risk of underestimation of the mafia phenomenon and to reaffirm that there is no territory, neither Region nor State can be said to be exempt from this parasite of democracy.

"It's possible" is the title given to this edition, an encouraging and challenging title at the same time. "It is possible", in fact, to create a society without mafias and corruption if we all live with greater force the responsibilities that the Constitution assigns to us and if politics returns to its original vocation of guardian and promoter of the common good, that is, if, in era of mass individualism and private interest, let the ethics of "we" prevail, the ethics of sharing and co-responsibility.

The XXVIII Day of Remembrance and Commitment in memory of the innocent victims of the mafia is organized with the support of MIM; Presidency of the Council-Mission Structure national anniversaries and national and international sporting events; Foundation with the South; CEI; Lazio Region Legality and Safety Observatory; Ethical Bank; BPM Foundation; Cariplo Foundation; Unipolis Foundation; CIA, COOP, Lauretana, Novamont and in collaboration with Trenitalia; Trenord and CSV.

We also thank the Diocese of Milan, the Milan Monza Brianza Lodi Chamber of Commerce, the Bank of Italy, the Chamber of Labour, the State University of Milan, ACLI Milan and Caritas.

The route of the procession and the methods of participation of the press
On March 21st the procession will be concentrated starting at 8 am in Corso Venezia, where it will leave at 9 am.

The initiative will follow this route: Corso Venezia, Piazza San Babila, Corso Giacomo Matteotti, Piazza Filippo Meda, Via Adalberto Catena, Piazza della Scala, Via Santa Margherita, Via Giuseppe Mengoni, Piazza Duomo.

The arrival in Piazza Duomo is expected around 11 am.
Changes to the road network are expected along the identified route.

Journalists, cameramen and photographers who intend to cover the demonstration on March 21st will have to register on www.libera.it, filling in the form no later than 20pm on Sunday 19 March.