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Tens of thousands from Italy's 'sardines' movement demonstrate against Matteo Salvini

People gather in Piazza VIII Agosto square in Bologna, Italy, during a demonstration of the Sardines movement, an Italian grass-roots movement against right-wing populism - LaPresse
People gather in Piazza VIII Agosto square in Bologna, Italy, during a demonstration of the Sardines movement, an Italian grass-roots movement against right-wing populism - LaPresse

Tens of thousands of peaceful protesters from Italy’s growing Sardines movement packed into Bologna’s biggest city square on Sunday in a final push to stave off Matteo Salvini’s populist rise ahead of a crucial regional vote.

The election in Emilia Romagna in northern Italy is considered the mother of all battles for the centre-left Democratic Party, which has held power in the area for more than 70 years.

A win for Mr Salvini's League party could have serious implications for the survival of the national coalition, an alliance between Five Star and the Democratic Party. “We are worried and just hope our sardines are able to reach the hearts of the still undecided,” said 67-year-old Giovanna Colognesi of Ferrara, whose group hoisted placards of Cupid shooting sardines from his bow as the six-hour music line up of Italian bands kicked off.

The latest polls suggest it will be a close-fought contest, with the Democratic Party’s candidate expected to win 45-47 per cent of the vote while the League’s centre-right candidate is predicted to take 43-45 per cent.

Outwardly, at least, the government says it is confident of winning, and says that even if they do not, a League victory would not bring down the coalition. “Emilia-Romagna has been governed by the Left since the end of the Second World War. If we lose, it could have a psychological effect, for sure.

A protester wears a hat with a sardine puppet where it reads ''Rome does not bind'' during a demonstration held by "the sardines", a grassroots movement against far-right League leader Matteo Salvini - Credit: Reuters
A protester wears a hat with a sardine puppet where it reads ''Rome does not bind'' during a demonstration held by "the sardines", a grassroots movement against far-right League leader Matteo Salvini Credit: Reuters

But in terms of the stability of the government, I don’t see any effect,” said Vincenzo Amendola, minister for European affairs and a senior member of the Democratic Party. The region’s incumbent Democrat governor, Stefano Bonaccini, from Modena, has been lauded by unions, business leaders and cultural figures for his solid governance, but Mr Salvini’s approachable style and populist anti-migrant message routinely draws enthusiastic crowds as he appears alongside the local candidate – 43-year-old League senator Lucia Borgonzoni.

If Mr Salvini’s party does win, it will be a bitter blow to the Sardines, a grass-roots movement born in Emilia-Romagna just two months ago in opposition to his agenda. The nickname evolved after protesters said that wherever Mr Salvini held a rally, there would be so many protesters contesting his presence that they would be packed into the piazzas like proverbial sardines.

The movement quickly spread across Italy, even prompting Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte to request a meeting with the group’s leaders.