Rome councillors propose renaming street after Alexei Navalny, igniting political debate
The proposition to rename Gaeta Street to Alexei Navalny Street in Rome was made by councillors of the center-left grouping, Italia Viva, of the former Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi.
"Rome cannot remain indifferent to the brutal murder of Alexei Navalny, a courageous and heroic opponent of Putin. We hope our request to rename the street will garner the support of all political factions," wrote councillors Valerio Casini and Francesca Leoncini, along with Marco Cappa, the head of the Roman Italia Viva branch, in a joint statement.
The capital supplement of "La Repubblica" newspaper points out that politicians from the Radical party were the first to suggest renaming the street where the Russian embassy is situated.
"Honoring Putin's Opposition"
This group emphasized that "memorializing courageous critics of Putin's regime by maintaining their memory in the annals of history is the only way to recognize their sacrifices."
"Thus", claimed the Italian Radicals, "we urge the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, to change the name of via Gaeta, where the Russian Federation embassy is situated, to Alexei Navalny Street".
A vigil in honor of Navalny, with representatives from all the significant Italian political parties in attendance, is scheduled for Monday evening at the Capitol, where the offices of Rome's authorities are located.
