General
Amid coronavirus scare, Italian president visits Chinatown school in Rome
Italian President, Sergio Mattarella paid a surprise visit on Thursday to a state school in the heart of Rome’s Chinese neighbourhood.
It was widely seen as a gesture of solidarity in the wake of multiple reports of discrimination against Chinese or Asian people in Italy, fuelled by public anxiety about the new coronavirus outbreak.
“We thank President #Mattarella for visiting the D. Manin #school, attended by very many students from the Chinese community’’ the Chinese embassy to Italy tweeted.
The presidency did not mention the coronavirus, and simply said Mattarella visited a school in a neighbourhood with a very strong Chinese community presence.
The Manin institute is in Esquilino, a central district near Rome’s main train station. Inside the school, the 78-year-old Mattarella found primary and middle school children.
In a video released by the presidency, a class looked dumbfounded by their high-profile guest.
“As a teacher asked, who came in one child replied, the principal and another, ’’The vice-principal!”
The president shook hands, listened to children singing the national anthem, and left with two posters, one with the sign schools belong to everybody and another celebrating the Italian constitution.
NAN
-
News23 hours ago
Military frees abducted Lagos editor Segun Olatunji
-
featured13 hours ago
Song lyrics are now simpler, angrier, more self-obsessed – Study
-
News15 hours ago
Easter: IGP assures police commitment to public safety
-
Entertainment15 hours ago
Why I became transgender – Bobrisky
-
News15 hours ago
Nationwide blackout imminent as national grid collapses
-
News15 hours ago
Tinubu appoints new chairman for code of conduct bureau
-
News4 hours ago
Lagos postpones Easter boat race
-
News2 hours ago
Speaker Abbas, Deputy Barau, Buhari celebrate Tinubu’s 72nd birthday