Addiopizzo
Addiopizzo is a Sicilian anti-mafia movement that was founded in Palermo in 2004. As the name suggests ( addio - goodbye, pizzo - protection money ), it is mainly dedicated to the fight against organized crime and extortion by the Sicilian mafia Cosa Nostra .
Origin and development
On the morning of June 29, 2004, stickers were seen all over the city of Palermo saying “ A whole people who pays protection money is a people without dignity ”. The idea for this campaign came from a group of young people who wanted to open a bar together, but when they thought of the protection money that the mafia would probably ask them to do, they took courage and did not found a bar, but the Addiopizzo initiative. Today the mainly volunteer “ Komitée Addiopizzo ” consists of around 40 members.
Further actions followed, and in 2005 the campaign “Change in consumption in the fight against protection money” ( Contro il pizzo cambia i consumi ) was launched. The aim was, on the one hand, to make citizens aware of their responsibility and, on the other hand, to support traders who no longer bow to the mafia's demands for protection money. There are now 1000 traders, including restaurants, hotels, libraries and copy shops, to food companies and manufacturers who have said NO to the mafia. These can be found summarized on city maps and guides printed by Addiopizzo and are also marked with an Addiopizzo sticker on the entrance door to enable consumers to consume critically and to contribute to a “clean” economy.
Other fields of activity of Addiopizzo are the schools, which are offered educational work and awareness-raising on the subject of mafia and organized crime.
Since 2005 Addiopizzo has organized an annual commemoration day for Libero Grassi , a Palermitan tradesman who was one of the first to oppose paying protection money and was murdered by the Mafia in 1991.
The highlight of the year is the three-day festival of critical consumption , which has taken place annually since 2006 and gives schoolchildren, traders and fellow citizens, but also tourists, the opportunity to get to know Addiopizzo and the participating traders.
In November 2009, Addiopizzo Travel was founded, a new cultural organization that offers ethical tourism and supports those who do not pay protection money.
Imitators
Since 2006 Addiopizzo has also been in Catania , another Sicilian city. In 2010 Messina followed suit and founded Addiopizzo Messina.
In Germany - analogous to Addiopizzo - shortly after the Mafia murders in Duisburg in 2007, the anti-Mafia movement “ Mafia? No thanks! ”Initiated.