Rainbow coloured flags with 'Pace' (Peace) written across them have been selling like hot cakes in Italy during the past few weeks. Three-hundred thousand sold in just a few days, and many outlets have now sold out.
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No doubt sales accelerated in the lead-up to the 15 February anti-war demonstration in Rome, attended by three million marchers according to organisers and one million by police estimates. The protest was heralded as the launch of a rainbow peace movement - which was exactly how it looked, with a mass of rainbow flags pushing the traditional leftist banners into the background.
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But it wasn't only the political parties of the left and the trade unions who lost out. The fluttering of rainbow flags also indicates a waning identification with the Italian nation and a loss of support for the Italian state.
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Before the demo, politicians had tried to encourage protestors to carry the Italian or even the United Nations (UN) flags. 'Today is the day of the flags: everyone is talking about peace flags', said Pier Ferdinando Casini, president of the lower house of parliament. 'I think we should, instead, raise the UN's flag, that is the blue flag too often forgotten', he added.
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Support for the Italian government's backing of the US-led campaign against Iraq is flagging - recent polls indicate that roughly 70 percent of Italians are against a war. ANSA, the Italian news agency, reported on 1 March that one million Italian households are now flying the peace flag, including the house featured on the Big Brother TV programme (1).
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In the north-eastern Veneto region where I live, the daily Corriere della Sera has estimated that 50,000 peace flags are flying from balconies (2). One of the main distributors of the peace banners in the Veneto is Don Albino Bizzotto, a priest and the self-proclaimed leader of the 'beautiful builders of peace'. Friends of mine are displaying the peace flags no matter what their religious inclinations or political persuasions.
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The polling institute Demos conducted a survey of 1400 people in the north-east of Italy during January 2003, which showed that Italians across the political spectrum are against an attack on Baghdad. Predictably, a large majority of centre-left voters opposed a war with Iraq. Nevertheless, 50 percent of those who back the prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia Party were also against military intervention. And levels of opposition were high among voters for other parties in the centre-right government coalition - 48 percent of National Alliance voters and 43 percent of Northern League voters were against a war.
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Opposing the war does not seem to reflect party political outlooks. Indeed, displaying a peace flag is often an indication of personal identity. When I have asked people about why they have a peace flag, the responses invariably begin with statements about themselves. 'I want to show that I'm a pacifist', said 20-year-old Cristina. Others reflected on their general discontent with the current government. 'We must demonstrate that this government needs to listen to the people', asserted 40-year-old Roberto.
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It is rare to find anyone displaying a peace flag who talks about the situation in Iraq - or even the Italian government's preparations for war. A peace flag is a way of saying, 'I'm a pacifist and a nice person'. Wally, the owner of a hairdressing salon in the Veneto village of Maser who has a huge peace banner in her salon window, said that she'd hung it up because 'violence provokes violence'.
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 | | What it means to be an Italian citizen is now under scrutiny |
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Dozens of mayors have been flying peace flags on town and city hall buildings. 'Nobody should be worried about displaying peace flags, whatever your political beliefs', stated Rome mayor Walter Veltroni. But some mayors may have begun to worry after the government issued a warning that flying peace flags on public buildings is a criminal offence. According to a 1998 law, only European Union (EU), Italian national, regional and communal flags can be displayed on public buildings.
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Many town and city halls have continued to display the peace flags in defiance of the government. The elementary school in the Veneto village of Coste still has a rainbow peace flag hanging alongside the Italian, EU and regional flag.
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But the ongoing flag wars have little to do with the prospect of war in the Middle East. Instead, they are battles over the identity of Italian institutions. Rivalry has broken out between two schools in the Veneto village of Riese Pio X. The elementary school has respected the government line of not displaying the peace flags, while the middle school has eight flying. Parents and teachers are up in arms over whether a peace banner is political, and whether peace should be promoted in schools.
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Discussions have been sparked on whether the Italian constitution is pacifist, and what values Italian citizens should embrace. 'This flag is a reference to a value which I think is important for the majority of Italian citizens', was Florence mayor Leonardo Domenici's comment about the peace flag flying from his office window.
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Ignazio La Russa, the National Alliance Party whip in the lower house of parliament, described the Italian national flag as a symbol of peace that represents everybody rather than just one segment of society. 'So let's display the Italian flag tomorrow', said La Russa in a call for unity the day before the anti-war demonstration in Rome (3).
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The indications are that Italians with peace flags are not always focused on challenging the government's role in the US-led war campaign. The rainbow flags streaming from balconies look pretty, but they do not signify a popular anti-war movement. The Italian government may be tempted to take heart from this.
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But the bad news for the government is that the peace flag debate has revealed further doubts about identifying with the Italian flag in a country where support for the state has never been strong. What it means to be an Italian citizen is now under scrutiny. The values of institutions and individuals are being called into question.
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Playing diplomatic war games may make the prime minister look very important. But it will not inspire the loyalty of the people he governs - or make them put away their peace flags.
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Dominic Standish (dstandish@europe.com) is a columnist for the Italy Weekly section of the International Herald Tribune and is doing PhD research in Venice.
(1) 'Even in the house of "Big Brother" the peace flag flies', Ansa, 1 March 2003
(2) 'Veneti, il no alla guerra ditelo al prefetto', Lucio Piva, 5 Feburary 2003, Corriere della Sera (Veneto section)
(3) 'Iraq: La Russa, let's display the Italian flag tomorrow', Agenzia Giornalistica Italia on behalf of the Prime Minister's office, 15 February 2003
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