Day of Protest

Yesterday the Italian government passed a highly controversial law (law 133) drafted by Education Minister Mariastella Gelmini that will usher in massive changes to Italy's educational system. In addition to slashing school budgets, the law will cut the number of teachers per class down to one (currently each elementary school class has two teachers and often a third "floating" teacher) and it will reduce the teaching week from 40 hours to 24 hours thereby posing problems for families without resources for after-school care. Some estimates suggest that 83,000 younger teachers will lose their already precarious positions. The law also eliminates summer school makeup sessions for students who fail classes, requiring them to repeat the entire year. At higher levels, the law will force universities to be more entrepreneurial in seeking funding and will eliminate non-producing departments. Protests have been staged all fall (see my 9/24 & 9/26 blogs) culminating in today's national school/university strike. Thousands and thousands of students, parents and teachers from all over the country took to the streets of Rome, and many ended their protests at the Ministry of Education, which is just a block and a half from our house. Helicopters buzzed overhead, Viale Trastevere (the main boulevard in this part of town) flooded with chanting protesters and the Ministry gates were barricaded by rows of police outfitted in riot gear. Danielle's elementary school was well-represented--some of her teachers as well as parents and teachers from her class gathering this morning to march in the protests. Not knowing what to expect (& beling swamped with work), we kept Danielle home.
But I managed to catch part of the protests in and around the Ministry of Education. The mood called to mind 1960s San Francisco peace marches in San Francisco: chanting students, educators and parents marching arm-in-arm, grand-mother's calling out "Bravi! Bravi!" from the sidelines, the occasional smell of pot, police on the sidelines, music, V signs...

Here are some images from today's protest.

Above: The first student groups arrive at the Ministry a half block from our apartment, as the demonstration begins.
Above: The scene directly in front of the Ministry of Education on Viale Trastevere
Below: Video clip of the demonstration.



Below: In Rome, South Asian street vendors always seem to pop up at the right moment with the right product. When the first drops of rain come down, they can be counted upon to emerge with umbrellas and when demonstrations break out, they materialize hawking whistles.
Below: Speeches and effigies on the steps of the Ministry. 1st image: effigy is of Gelmini, 2nd images is Burlusconi.
Below: By the time the protest was winding down, scores of protesters had adorned the gate surrounding the Ministry of Education with their protest signs.