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Jewish participants were forced to leave a rally in Milan, Italy, on Saturday marking the defeat of Nazi Germany after facing antisemitic abuse, including chants of “Long live Hitler” and Holocaust taunts.
Demonstrators blocked marchers affiliated with the Jewish Brigade, along with members of the local Jewish community and other Jewish organizations, preventing them from advancing for nearly an hour. Police later escorted the group away for their safety.
A young Jewish participant was told, “You’re lucky you’re not a soap bar,” a reference to Nazi atrocities. Witnesses also reported chants of “All Zionists out of the rally,” along with other abuse directed at those marching.
We strongly condemn the scenes in Milan, where descendants of the Jewish Brigade and members of the Jewish community were forced to leave the Liberation Day march under police protection after being surrounded by demonstrators shouting antisemitic slogans.
This incident is… pic.twitter.com/ZGQ0WNl0ii
— European Jewish Congress (@eurojewcong) April 27, 2026
Emanuele Fiano, a former MP for the center-left Democratic Party and the son of an Auschwitz survivor, has attended the annual April 25 rally for decades. “We were kicked out,” he said.
The Jewish Brigade, a unit of roughly 5,000 Jewish soldiers, fought with Allied forces against Nazi Germany, including in Italy. Its members helped liberate parts of the country and have long taken part in Liberation Day commemorations. In recent years, however, those marching with the Jewish Brigade have faced repeated targeting.
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