Controversy Over Posting Meloni Photo Upside Down
Because It Reminds of Italian Dictator Mussolini's Last Moments
The museum director who sparked controversy by posting a photo of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni upside down on social media, reminiscent of the fate of Italy's dictator Mussolini, has ultimately resigned.
On the 14th (local time), local media including La Repubblica reported that Luca Dellati, the director of the Ostuni Museum in the southern Italian city of Ostuni, announced his resignation.
Director Dellati recently posted an upside-down photo of Prime Minister Meloni on his Instagram. This post was seen as referencing the scene of the execution of Italy's dictator Benito Mussolini, which sparked controversy. Mussolini was captured by guerrillas and executed by firing squad in 1945, just before the defeat in World War II. Afterwards, his body was hung upside down in a Milan square, where people reportedly spat on him while watching.
As the controversy intensified, Director Dellati explained that the post was meant as a criticism of Prime Minister Meloni's stance on the Foibe massacres memorial day on the 10th, and expressed, "I sincerely apologize to Prime Minister Meloni."
However, the controversy did not subside even after the apology. The ruling party led by Meloni, Fratelli d'Italia (FdI), repeatedly demanded his dismissal. Gennaro Sangiuliano, Italy's Minister of Culture, also pointed out, "Museum directors should not express any aggressive opinions towards the community and have an obligation to show respect." After Angelo Fomes, the mayor of Ostuni, also criticized him, he eventually stepped down from his position as director.
The Foibe massacres refer to the mass killings and expulsions carried out by Yugoslav communists on Italian territory during the last two years of World War II. The exact number of victims has not been tallied, but it is estimated that up to 15,000 people died.
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