March 10, 2024 (EIRNS)—Here is a video published on March 9 in Open Online by Alessandro Landini, who writes: “Before the start of the show this evening the workers of La Scala, representatives of the various sectors, musicians, came onstage to demand a ceasefire in the Middle East. Behind them the curtain opened to reveal a huge banner with the words ‘Ceasefire’ [‘Cessate Il Fuoco’] which was greeted with warm applause from the audience. The gesture, not surprisingly, took place before Madina, a ballet that tells the story of a Chechen girl who chooses not to detonate the explosive belt that she carries around her waist so as not to die or kill. Photos and videos are beginning to circulate on social media. Here are the images taken by Alessandro Lanzani.”
One Facebook posting with a still shot of the banner specifies that the demonstration was organized by the La Scala trade unions. The post read: “Congratulations to the Scala de Milan, whose ALL staff agreed to spread a banner, at the beginning of the program, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza!” The Scala personnel onstage included members of the orchestra, the ballerina, the technicians, the seamstresses, the director.”
