Fears of extreme right-wing to adopt violence in Italy

Italian police rescue 51 children from burning bus set alight by driver, A bus driver in northern Italy abducted 51 children and their school chaperones Wednesday, threatening the hostages’ lives for 40 minutes and setting the bus on fire at a Carabinieri blockade.

Chief prosecutor Francesco Greco praised the Carabinieri for moving swiftly to block the bus and remove the children.

“They carried out an operation that we see in films with special agents,” Greco said.

“Thank goodness, because by then the intent to massacre had ignited, and the man was starting to set fire to the bus, as he did,” he said.

The driver was apprehended and treated for burns. Prosecutors described him as a 47-year-old Italian citizen of Senegalese origin and said he told authorities he wanted to vindicate Europe-bound migrants who have died in the Mediterranean Sea but did not plan to hurt anyone.

However, prosecutors said the suspect, identified as Ousseynou Sy, made preparations that showed his actions were premeditated, such as buying a canister of gasoline and restraints on Tuesday.

He also sent a video to friends in Italy and Senegal indicating plans for bold action with the message “Africa, rise up,” they said.

Sy was being investigated on suspicion of kidnapping, intention to commit a massacre, arson and resisting law enforcement, with terrorism as an aggravating circumstance since the event caused panic. Prosecutors said they have found no evidence of Islamic radicalization or ties to extremists, saying it appeared the bus driver acted alone.

Italy is now ruled by the far right, whose parties have formed a governmental coalition. The driver attack opens the door to the question of the far-right strategy which turning it into a more violent course.  

Right-wing parties succeeded in making progress on traditional parties in Italy. A coalition of right-wing parties led by the Northern League won 37 per cent of the votes, while a five-star movement won 32.6 per cent of the vote in last year's parliamentary elections.

after Mathieu Salveni, Italy's interior minister, the hate speech against Muslims and dark-skinned people, has become publically observers fear the government may turn a blind eye to the actions of right-wing extremists against minorities in the country.

Salveni publicly advocates banning and demolishing mosques in Italy. "There is no way to reconcile Italian civil legislation with the provisions of Islamic law," he said.

Salveni said in a press statement last week about the possibility of the repeat of the terrorist attack on two mosques in New Zealand, which killed 50 people, including children in Italy: he is not worried about that, adding: "The only extremism that should be attention to be arouse concern is Islamic extremism