Federal and Utah authorities confirmed that Tyler Robinson was arrested on the night of September 11 at 10 p.m. local time as the main suspect in the murder of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. They also provided several details linking the 22-year-old to the antifascist movement in the United States.
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According to Utah Governor Spencer Cox, authorities yesterday found a Mauser Model 98 rifle with a telescopic sight, wrapped in a dark towel, in a wooded area of Utah Valley University, where the murder took place last Wednesday during a Kirk event.
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Alongside the rifle, three unused bullet casings were also found, each with inscriptions, Cox said. One read, “Hey, fascists! Catch!”, another said, “If you’re reading this, you’re gay, LMAO,” and the third carried the inscription, “Oh, bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao!”—the chorus that has become a symbol for some far-left movements around the world.
The History and Symbolism of “Bella Ciao”
The melody was born in the Italian countryside and went on to become a global anthem of resistance, evolving over the decades into a political, cultural, and musical symbol.
The folk song “Bella Ciao,” internationally recognized as an anti-fascist hymn, has a more complex origin than often told, according to National Geographic. Although it is commonly associated with Italian partisans who fought against Nazism during World War II, its roots trace back to the chants of female agricultural workers in the Po Valley.
The song’s transformation was solidified during the 1940s when resistance groups adopted it as an expression of freedom against Benito Mussolini’s fascist dictatorship and the German occupation of Italy.
Its lyrics tell the story of a fighter bidding farewell to his beloved before joining the struggle, interpreted as a reflection of individual sacrifice for collective freedom.
The song’s popularity extended far beyond Italy. In the second half of the 20th century, it was translated into numerous languages and performed in various political contexts, from student demonstrations to leftist movements in Latin America.
In recent decades, “Bella Ciao” has experienced an unexpected revival thanks to its inclusion in the Spanish series La Casa de Papel, which introduced it to new generations and made it trend on digital platforms.
Today, “Bella Ciao” is sung both at commemorative events related to anti-fascist resistance and at concerts, festivals, and in audiovisual productions.