ABSTRACT: PANNELLA'S HUNGER STRIKE - SPANISH OBJECTORS - LORIS FORTUNA [2] JOINS PANNELLA IN SPAIN. THE SOCIALIST DEPUTY HAS OFFERED TO GO TO SPAIN TO SUPPORT MARCO PANNELLA'S NONVIOLENT INITIATIVE AND TO SEEK A POLITICAL SOLUTION TO THE "FAIR BATTLE HE IS CONDUCTING AND IN WHICH HE IS RISKING HIS LIFE. SPADACCIA AND AGLIETTA [3] THANK FORTUNA: "IT IS A FURTHER DEMONSTRATION OF FRIENDSHIP AND SYMPATHY FROM A COMRADE WITH WHOM WE HAVE CARRIED OUT SO MANY IMPORTANT DEMOCRATIC STRUGGLES. THE RADICAL PARTY WILL FEEL REPRESENTED BY FORTUNA'S ACTION IN SPAIN".

(RADICAL NEWS NO. 233, 28 September 1977)

Rome, 28 September 1977 (editor's note) - During the press conference organized by the Radical Party on the problem of the referendum, in which he participated together with MP "Tocco" and the vice mayor of Rome, "Benzoni" as the promoter of an open letter to "Nenni" [4] and "Craxi" [5], signed by hundreds of socialist officials, "Loris Fortuna" offered to go to Spain to support the nonviolent initiative which "Marco Pannella" is conducting, and which could end dramatically, and to seek a political solution.

"Adelaide Aglietta" and "Gianfranco Spadaccia" greeted "Fortuna's" offer with emotion: "It is the further demonstration of friendship and sympathy of a comrade - they said - with whom we have shared so many important democratic struggles. The Radical Party will feel represented by the action which "Fortuna" will carry out in Spain".

During his speech, M.P. "Fortuna" said: "Marco Pannella" is carrying out an action which is extremely dangerous for his health and for his very life, aimed to a fair cause, political appropriate at a moment in which the democratic Spain is preparing to discuss its Constitution and asks to become part of the community of democratic countries of Europe. "Pannella" is not isolated in Spain, where he has give new confidence and hope to the conscientious objectors and to the military and political prisoners, until now forgotten and unaffected by the democratization process, and where he has found the sympathy and understanding of political forces and of the authorities of the State. But understandable resistances could dramatically conclude a nonviolent demonstration and practice which simply asks the Spanish authorities to make a symbolic act, to give a sign, a demonstration of political resolve. "Marco Pannella" cannot be left alone in fighting this battle".

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PANNELLA'S HUNGER STRIKE - SPANISH OBJECTORS: EIGHT MORE RADICAL MILITANTS START A HUNGER STRIKE AS OF TODAY IN SUPPORT OF MARCO PANNELLA'S STRUGGLE IN SPAIN.

Milan, 28 September 1977 (editor's note) - Oscar Brontesi, Emilio Cesareo, Paolo D'Ambrosio, Giuliano Ghilotti, Napal Gianni, Lorenzo Piria, Robby Redaelli, Marco Sindona, join Cesare Pogliano in Turin, Guino Aghina, Claudio Jaccarino and Andrea Barbian from Milan who are now at their sixth day of hunger strike in support of Marco Pannella's initiative.

Translator's notes

[1] PANNELLA MARCO. Pannella Giacinto, known as Marco. (Teramo 1930). Currently President of the Radical Party's Federal Council, which he is one of the founders of. At twenty national university representative of the Liberal Party, at twenty-two President of the UGI, the union of lay university students, at twenty-three President of the UNURI, national union of Italian university students. At twenty-four he advocates, in the context of the students' movement and of the Liberal party, the foundation of the new radical party, which arises in 1954 following the confluence of prestigious intellectuals and minor democratic political groups. He is active in the party, except for a period (1960-1963) in which he is correspondent for "Il Giorno" in Paris, where he established contacts with the Algerian resistance. Back in Italy, he commits himself to the reconstruction of the radical Party, dissolved by its leadership following the advent of the centre-left. Under his indisputable leadership, the party succeeds in

promoting (and winning) relevant civil rights battles, working for the introduction of divorce, conscientious objection, important reforms of family law, etc, in Italy. He struggles for the abrogation of the Concordat between Church and State. Arrested in Sofia in 1968 as he is demonstrating in defence of Czechoslovakia, which has been invaded by Stalin. He opens the party to the newly-born homosexual organizations (FUORI), promotes the formation of the first environmentalist groups. The new radical party organizes difficult campaigns, proposing several referendums (about twenty throughout the years) for the moralization of the country and of politics, against public funds to the parties, against nuclear plants, etc., but in particular for a deep renewal of the administration of justice. Because of these battles, all carried out with strictly nonviolent methods according to the Gandhian model - but Pannella's Gandhi is neither a mystic nor an ideologue; rather, an intransigent and yet flexible politician - h

e has been through trials which he has for the most part won. As of 1976, year in which he first runs for Parliament, he is always elected at the Chamber of Deputies, twice at the Senate, twice at the European Parliament. Several times candidates and local councillor in Rome, Naples, Trieste, Catania, where he carried out exemplary and demonstrative campaigns and initiatives. Whenever necessary, he has resorted to the weapon of the hunger strike, not only in Italy but also in Europe, in particular during the major campaign against world hunger, for which he mobilized one hundred Nobel laureates and preeminent personalities in the fields of science and culture in order to obtain a radical change in the management of the funds allotted to developing countries. On 30 September 1981 he obtains at the European parliament the passage of a resolution in this sense, and after it several other similar laws in the Italian and Belgian Parliament. In January 1987 he runs for President of the European Parliament, obtaini

ng 61 votes. Currently, as the radical party has pledged to no longer compete with its own lists in national elections, he is striving for the creation of a "transnational" cross-party, in view of a federal development of the United States of Europe and with the objective of promoting civil rights throughout the world.

[2] FORTUNA LORIS. (Breno 1924 - Udine 1985). Italian politician. In 1965, he sponsored the bill on divorce which was passed by Parliament after years of initiatives and campaigns carried out in cooperation with the Radical Party in 1970. He also sponsored bills on abortion and passive euthanasia (the latter was not approved). Minister of civil defence and community affairs.

[3] AGLIETTA ADELAIDE. (Turin 1940). Currently President of the Green Group at the European Parliament. Former member of the Italian Parliament, Secretary of the radical Party in 1977 and in 1978, year in which she was chosen to be part of the popular jury at the trial in Turin against the Red Brigades and Renato Curcio. Promoter of the Turin-based CISA (Information Centre on Abortion and Sterilization).

[4] NENNI PIETRO. (Faenza 1891 - 1980). Italian politician. At first republican, as of 1921 socialist. Editor of the party's newspaper, "L'Avanti!", exiled in France, in 1930 he masterminded the reunification of the socialist movements, and in 1934 the pact of unity of action with the Italian Communist Party (PCI). Secretary of the PSI in 1943 and from 1949 to 1964, deputy Prime Minister (1945), and Foreign Minister (1946-47). He organized the organic agreement with the PCI, and suffered the electoral defeat of 1948. Lenin Prize for Peace, he gradually took an independent position, and in the '60s struggled for a government of centre-left with the DC (Christian Democratic Party); with the centre-left he was deputy Prime Minister (1963-68) and foreign minister (1968-69). Senator for life in 1970.

[5] CRAXI BETTINO. (Milan 1934). Italian politician. Socialist, deputy since 1968. Appointed secretary of the Italian Socialist Party (PSI) in 1976, he operated important changes in the party's phisiognomy, turning it into the core of a wide project of institutional and other reforms and of unity of the socialist forces.