This is a photograph of the clock at Bologna railway station taken today forty-three years after the Bologna massacre by neo-nazis. Unfortunately, the station clock stopped for good at 10:25 am, the time of the bombing on 2 August 1980.
At 10:25 CEST, a time bomb hidden in an unattended suitcase detonated in an air-conditioned waiting room at the Bologna station, which was full of people seeking relief from the August heat. The explosion collapsed the roof of the waiting room, destroyed most of the main building, and hit the Ancona–Chiasso train which was waiting at the first platform.
The station was full of tourists that Saturday, and the city was unprepared for a major disaster. Many passers-by and travelers provided first aid to victims and helped rescue people who were buried under the rubble.
Due to the large number of casualties and an insufficient number of emergency vehicles available to transport the injured to hospitals, firefighters used buses, private cars, and taxis. Some doctors and hospital staff returned early from vacation to care for the victims, and hospital departments which were closed for the summer holidays were reopened to accommodate the casualties.
After the attack, large demonstrations were held in Piazza Maggiore (Bologna’s central square). Harsh criticism was directed at government representatives who attended the 6 August funerals of the victims in the Basilica San Petronio. The only applause was reserved for President Sandro Pertini, who arrived by helicopter in Bologna at 5:30 pm the day of the massacre and tearfully said: “I have no words; we are facing the most criminal enterprise that has ever taken place in Italy.”
The #37 bus (used to transport victims) and the clock (stopped at 10:25) were symbols of the massacre. The attack was the worst atrocity in Italy since World War II. [from wikipedia]
In 2023, Italy has a fascist prime minister.
Ian Curr
21 Sept 2023
[with thanks to G.]