A prayer, “to say that we do not accept” violence and “to dissociate ourselves from evil”. To ask that the suffering caused by the massacre of yesterday to nice “illuminate and disarm the hand of the violent”. To “always put yourself on the side of Abel, of the victim”. Thus the archbishop of Bologna, Matteo Zuppi, opens the prayer vigil organized this evening in the church of the Most Holy Savior, (entrusted to the community of St. John, of French origin).

At this moment “it takes more determination – says Zuppi, before entering the church – there is so much suffering and concern, it is a tragedy. We hope that the institutions will find the intelligence mechanisms to prevent these unpredictable gestures”. Then, the bishop warns, “we must all do our part. We must not accept the logic of hatred and fear. We must always choose to stand against violence and pray for the seeds of division to be defeated”.

The indignation of the Region and the Municipality. Meanwhile, in France, the French flag was displayed  . Even the flag of the Municipality of Bologna on the facade of Palazzo d’Accursio is exposed to mourning. “Emilia-Romagna clings to the French institutions and people in this latest dramatic moment. Our thoughts and our condolences go to France”, thought the governor Stefano Bonaccini. “The recipe is not there- surely the road is that of a strong cultural integration, but it must be said that even the Islamic people must make their voices heard loudly. The Islamic people must also be really busy, because a terrorist explosion of these levels is really unacceptable and makes us practically powerless “.

” We strongly condemn the folly of terrorism and we cling with deep sorrow to the families affected, to the people French, to the city of Nice. The strength of democracy is also and above all the ability to not be afraid: we will not be intimidated and we will be able to react as we were taught by the many wounds with which terrorism has also marked our city “, declares the mayor Virginio Merola .
The president of the Bologna municipal council, Luisa Guidone , spoke this morning with the French honorary consul, Giuliano Berti Arnoaldi Veli. The next session of the municipal council, Monday 18 July, will begin with a minute’s silence in memory of the victims of the Nice massacre.

The university: the two Erasmus students in Nice are doing well. “On behalf of the entire community of the Alma Mater – declares the rector of the University of Bologna Francesco Ubertini – I wish to express deep condolences for the victims of the attack that struck Nice on the day when France celebrates the founding values ​​of freedom , equality and brotherhood, I want to witness the closeness of the University

to the families affected and to the French nation. Once again, the University, a place of confrontation of cultures and knowledge, remains appalled by a vile and incomprehensible act, against which it is necessary to react with the strength of democracy and peaceful coexistence between peoples “. They have been traced and the two students of the Alma Mater are doing well, who are currently carrying out an Erasmus mobility period in Nice.