Red Week
The red Semaine is a popular insurrection which proceeded with Ancône from June 7th to 14th 1914 and which disputed a series of reforms set up by Giovanni Giolitti. It, thereafter, extended in Romagna, Toscane and in other areas of Italy.
Reason of the movement
The congress antimilitarist convened the June 7th to protest against the disciplinary companies, the Militarism, the War, and in favor of Augusto Masetti and Antonio Moroni, two called quota. The first locked up like insane in a criminal psychiatric asylum, had shot at its colonel whereas it was to leave for the war Libya, the second envoy in a disciplinary company for its ideas, was revolutionary trade unionist. The day of June 7th being rainy, the congress is moved at 6 p.m. with the " Rossa" villa; sit of the Republican party of Ancône. In front of nearly 600 people, republicans, Anarchistic S and Socialist S, the secretary of the Chamber Working, Pietro Nenni, Pelizza, Errico Malatesta for the anarchists and Marinelli for the young republicans speak. Villa, they decide to go towards the close place, piazza Roma, where a military orchestra gives a concert.
The repression of the police force
The police force, distributed on the two sides in order to block the access to place and to make circulate crowd in Indian file towards the outside of the city, starts to strike without distinction, even the women and the children. Roofs and windows of the houses, various projectiles, tiles and bricks are launched. Shots burst, the Carabiniers, according to their version, believer whom they had left crowd, open fire, drawing 70 blows. Three people are killed: the republicans Antonio Casaccia, 24 years, and Nello Budini, 17 years, die in the hospital and the anarchist Attilio Gianbrignoni, 22 years, is killed on the blow. There are also five wounded among crowd and seventeen among the police officers.Malatesta harangue the crowd which expresses in front of the prefecture to release stopped the Cecili anarchist, and invites to the insurrection whereas another Pacetti speaker proposes to challenge the Parliament. A wave of indignation traverses all the city immediately whereas the police force is held remotely. Crowd follows Malatesta and it is the insurrection which lasts seven days. Most of the population of Ancône is opposed to the demonstrations of violence and is locked up at it leaving the city to the hands of a small thousand of revolted.
Pietro Nenni will say, some time after, that it was the police force of Ancône which wanted the massacre at all costs, which caused it and premeditated it in complicity with the forces reactionaries.
The general strike
The central committee of the trade union of the Railwaymen was joined together in Ancône and on proposal of Errico Malatesta declares the Grève which for reasons for organization begins the June 9th, the same day as the funeral of the demonstrators who do in a rather calm way. In other areas, the strike begins only the 10.The movement since the Steps and the Romagna, is propagated in Toscane with the cries of " With bottom fusilleurs of the peuple"