People came from all over to Riace, the town considered a model of migrant integration, to give support to the "dream" of Mayor Mimmo Lucano, who was suspended after being involved in a court case.
From London, Brussels, Lugano - people from all over came to celebrate New Year's in the small Italian town of Riace.
The visitors had followed a message on Facebook that had gone viral, calling for support of Mimmo Lucano, Riace's migrant-friendly mayor who had been banned over allegations of corruption and helping illegal immigration.
Visitors slept in homes and rooms of a "diffused hotel" to give support to the "dream" of Lucano, who created a project that became a model of migrant welcoming and integration.
Solidarity after viral post on social media
The New Year's celebration in solidarity in Riace came about thanks to a Facebook post by Maddalena Cannarsa, an architect who lives and works in London, and Francesco Trento, a Roman author and screenwriter. Their post quickly went viral and involved hundreds of people, many of them artists and intellectuals.
Just days prior to the end of the year, many people set about to travel to the small town, both with flights and by car. Their journey to the town in the area of Locride aimed at giving "continuity to a project put in serious discussion after Domenico Lucano's suspension and subsequent residence ban".
Chants, song and dance
A series of initiatives took place on December 31, amidst fireworks, chants of "Free Mimmo" (also written with candles arranged on the ground), and choruses of "Bella Ciao" in front of a banner reading "I Have Mimmo in My Heart". In the town's main square there were traditional songs and dances, while during the afternoon there were meetings at the city's multimedia centre where screenings were held of films shot in Riace. There was also a special mailbox titled "Write to Mimmo" where people could leave a card for "Mimì", who, following the ban on him residing in Riace, currently lives in a nearby town in the area.
Participants gathered in the town's main square for the countdown to midnight. Daniela Maggiulli, a teacher from Puglia who took a home in Riace, where she created artist residences, said she traveled that morning to Caulonia, where Lucano is currently living. "It was a really wonderful meeting," she said. "It's a difficult time, but we are ready to make our contribution so that Riace doesn't get erased," she said.