Cécile Kyenge is one of the
few politicians I can say I kind of admire, after showing she doesn’t let a few
banana-throwing, racist shitheads get to her. Since becoming Italy’s first
black minister she has been repeatedly targeted with racist abuse.
Kyenge is a naturalised
citizen born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and was making a speech on
Friday when bananas were thrown at her, narrowly missing the stage. Instead of
losing her head and giving up, as I think most of us would do, she simply told
the culprit off for wasting food.
It’s not only random dicks
that are attacking Kyenge, but fellow politicians as well. Italian senator
Robert Calderoli claimed she had “the features of an orang-utan”. Despite
pretty much all of Italy demanding he resign, he refuses to shift his useless
arse from his padded desk chair.
On top of the bananas and the
orang-utan comments, further racist protests against Kyenge include mannequins
with “immigration kills” written in red paint, claims her party is a “bongo
bongo government” and graffiti reading “Kyenge, go back to Congo”.
Keynge says she will not let this affect her, or her plans
to go ahead with a law change that will make it easier for Italian-born
children of immigrants to gain Italian citizenship. She hopes that it will
unite the “good’ Italy and help her look ahead.
Words by Khia Reynolds
