Florence Mayor Addresses Online Harassment Following Activist Examination
Florence, Italy – Florence Mayor Dario Nardella has spoken out against a “climate of hatred” fueled by social media, following an investigation into three activist writers accused of stalking and online harassment. Benedetta Sabene, Carlotta Vagnoli, and Valeria Fonte are currently under investigation.
the controversy stems from the publication of private chat logs containing insults directed at Nardella, including being labeled a “fascist” by individuals identifying with the left. Nardella responded to the accusation with pride,referencing Florence’s Gold Medal for Military Valor earned during the liberation from Nazi-fascism and his annual ringing of the Martinella bell at Palazzo Vecchio on August 11th,the city’s Liberation day.
“The problem is the climate of hatred and total conflict that finds an uncontrolled outlet on social media in a mixture of defamation and half-fake news. The problem is very serious,” Nardella stated in a recent interview.
He confirmed meeting Carlotta Vagnoli in 2023 during a meeting at Palazzo Vecchio but declined to comment on the legal merits of the case, stating he was more concerned with the broader phenomenon of social media being used as “weapons…to denigrate, defame and annihilate people.”
Nardella expressed particular concern for young people, whom he described as “totally exposed and without any type of protection” to harmful online content, and suggested that politicians sometimes contribute to the problem by viewing opponents as “rivals to be attacked and overthrown.”
He criticized the conversion of civic engagement into a “contest of moral superiority” on social media, where “hate disguises itself as justice and the pillory as courage.” Nardella concluded by calling for a return to ”humanity,moderation and responsibility,” citing his concern for the world his three children will inherit.
