Activists Rename Streets In Biella To Honor Mafia Victims Amid Political Scandal

Biella, Italy – On April 1, 2026, Extinction Rebellion symbolically renamed streets in central Biella after victims of the mafia, protesting alleged ties between politics and organized crime involving national and regional government figures, including Andrea Delmastro and Elena Chiorino.

This morning, streets including Via Italia and Via Cristoforo Colombo were given new names such as Peppino Impastato, Giovanni Falcone, Paolo Borsellino, Rita Atria, Don Pino Puglisi, and Renata Fonte. Many of the affected streets house local offices of Fratelli d’Italia, Lega, and Forza Italia.

Extinction Rebellion framed the action as a response to recent scandals, including reports that Delmastro and Chiorino had allegedly founded a business in Rome linked to a Camorra associate’s family, just days after the March 21 march for innocent mafia victims.

“Changing the names of these streets is necessary because they are crossed every day by those who, while carrying out national and regional policies that deny rights and destroy the land, also engage in mafia-related business,” said Extinction Rebellion.

The movement recalled past political-mafia collusions, including the case of former Forza Italia councilor Roberto Rosso. The “Delmastro case” contributed to recent resignations, including Delmastro as Undersecretary of Justice and Chiorino as Vice President of the Piedmont Region and later as Regional Councilor for Labor, Education, and Merit.

Extinction Rebellion also criticized past attacks by these politicians against social and environmental movements. “The same people who have defamed movements, students, and civil society demanding rights and urgent climate policies are now at the center of a political scandal linked to the mafia,” the group said.

“Biella and Piedmont deserve another history, rooted in social and climate justice and in the fight against the mafia,” the group concluded, highlighting the sacrifices of those who gave their lives defending justice and the collective interest.

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