As a sign of respect to all the victims who have fallen to the Coronavirus, in solidarity with all their relatives, as the whole nation mourns together with the communities who have suffered the most losses, Italy has stopped all activity today at noon.
This initiative was launched by Italian mayors, but it has been taken up by other national entities: flags will fly half mast on all public buildings. All the mayors around the country, have stood in front of their local townhouses, proudly wearing their tricolour sashes, in silence as a sign of mourning and solidarity to all the communities which have been ravaged by this pandemic.
Even the Vatican has participated in this initiative, in a show of unity with all the victims in Italy and around the world, their families, and all those who are sacrificing their lives on the frontline to put an end to this outbreak.
The mayors wanted to commemorate and mourn the thousands who have who have lost their lives in this silent war, who have died alone without the comfort of their loved ones and had to do without a proper funeral. This event was organised remotely, so as to observe the tough social distancing measures currently in place.
Gianfranco Gafforelli was the originator of the event, as the mayor of Calcinate hailing from the province of Bergamo, one of the worst hit zones with the largest number of deaths recorded. The message was in turn proposed by the president of the Associazione Nazionale Comuni Italiani (Anci) Antonio De Caro, who invited all the mayors to participate in this initiative.
De Caro wrote, “We can all visualise the tragedy which is currently wreaking havoc in our northern cities, which is putting such pressure on all our communities. As in the case of other great emergencies, we Mayors, as institutional representatives closest to our citizens, take over a role of mentors and represent their worries and heartbreak. We are on the frontline representing the responsibility of the whole community “.
Therefore, De Caro called all the mayors to action, “to remember all the victims of this global tragedy to honour the sacrifice and commitment of all the healthworkers, to show our love to everyone, to support one another…”
ANSA
