Alghero, vandalized the monument dedicated to the Paratroopers of El Alamein

ALGHERO – Once again, ignorance and hatred have targeted a symbol of courage and sacrifice. Just a few days after its official inauguration, the monument dedicated to the Paratroopers fallen in the battle of El Alamein at the Lepanto-Cecchini gardens in Alghero was cowardly defaced by unknown individuals with a marker inscription on the marble plaque at the foot of the monument, in an attempt to tarnish the memory of those who served our Nation with discipline and dedication.

This is not the first time the work has been targeted. In September 2024, even before the official inauguration, the monument was the subject of a serious act of vandalism: unknown individuals attempted to damage the sculpture by trying to remove a finger from the statue. At the time, the Honorable Mauro Rotelli condemned it as “a despicable act against a heroic page of our history”. The statue was restored with determination, without yielding to provocation, and officially inaugurated on June 21, 2025.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by numerous civil and military authorities, including the Mayor of Alghero Raimondo Cacciotto, the Honorable Paola Chiesa, the National President A.N.P.d'I. General Marco Bertolini and Luisella Caria, sister of Sergeant Major Saboteur Paratrooper Giannino Caria, Gold Medal for Military Valor in memory, who fell in 1971 during the operation to recover the remains of the fallen at Meloria.

Very harsh Alessio Auriemma, deputy city coordinator of Fratelli d’Italia Alghero: “The monument should unite and remember. Instead, the usual shameful writing appeared on it, directed at the paratroopers of the Folgore. A vile act, carried out at night by those who do not even have the courage to stand by their ideas openly. Certainly, a few scribbles will not tarnish the honor of the Folgore, nor that of all the Italian Armed Forces, who every day, often in silence, serve the Nation with discipline and honor.”

Today, in the face of this latest vile act, it is everyone's duty to strongly condemn such gestures. Preserving the memory of those who sacrificed everything for the Fatherland is a civic duty that goes beyond any political or ideological affiliation. Every attack on symbols like this is an offense not only to the paratroopers of the Folgore but to the entire national community. It is the responsibility of all, citizens and institutions, to ensure that respect for history and for those who have served the Nation remains an inalienable value.