The cover of issue 340 is an image of the school and university student protests which are taking place in many of Italy’s cities against the “Gelmini Law”, which, among other things, intends to privatise universities into non-existence; inside is a text and photographic report on this subject by Paolo Poce. There is also an article by Cosimo Scarinzi, who points out that even moderates are mobilising on this issue.
Other articles flagged up on the front page are: “Anarchy in a time of plague” by Maria Matteo, on how these are hard times for anarchists; Andrea Staid reports on workers’ challenges to poor employment practices of multinational Ikea in Brescia. There are articles by Francesca P. Arduini and Patrizia Diamante on contraception and the catholic church. There are also two articles analysing the Venezuela of Hugo Chavez, by Stefano Boni and the editors of “El Libertario” magazine.
As for the regular contributors, Andrea Papi discusses the current economic crisis, pointing out that capitalism cannot change its ways. In “à nous la liberté”, Felice Accame discusses “Né leggere né scrivere”, a book from 1971 on illiteracy by Gualtiero Harrison and Matilde Callari Galli. In the libertarian review, reviews of “Divieto D’Infanzia” by Chiara Gazzola and of “Mi rivolto dunque siamo”, Albert Camus’ political writings edited by Vittorio Giacopini, presented by the editor himself.
There is a piece by historian Franco Schirone on the detention of anarchists and other “subversives” on Italy’s islands in the 19th century and under the Fascist regime, which Silvio Berlusconi said were like holiday camps. Not surprisingly, the truth was somewhat different.
On Sunday 26 October in Milan an event was held to commemorate what would have been Giuseppe Pinelli’s 80th birthday. This issue also refers to a previous issue of “A”, from 37 years ago, which, among other things, also devoted considerable space to the murder of Pinelli and the Strage di Stato.
Massimo Ortalli’s “Ritratti in piedi” has a number of pieces on the Spanish Civil War, with texts by Orwell, Enzensberger and Alessandro Bertante.
Several letters this month, from Giorgio Barberis, Fabrizio Eva, Patrizia Diamante on behalf of the Circolo Anarchico Fiorentino, Gianluca Pitari, Fabrizio Dentini and Correspondence Committee of the Italian Anarchist Federation (FAI).
There is a poem by Gabriella Gianfelici dedicated to the recently deceased Marina Padovese.

by Leslie Ray