Removal of the banner at IC Pinerolo 3-4
On 28 September 2026, law enforcement officers removed, in the early hours of the morning, a banner hung in front of the Istituto Comprensivo Pinerolo 3-4, in the territory of Pinerolo (Turin). The banner read «The school is open to all. Art. 34 of the Italian Constitution», referring to the article of the Constitution on the right to education. The episode was denounced the same day by FLC Cgil Torino, by the Provincial Chamber of Labour of Turin (Camera del Lavoro Provinciale di Torino), and by the local school communities [1][2].
The hanging and removal of the banner
The banner had been put up by the school's Rsu (trade union representative body) as part of a mobilisation in defence of a public, open, inclusive and anti-racist school system, in response to a decree-law approved by the Council of Ministers introducing a cap on the number of foreign students per class. According to reports, the removal by law enforcement was initially justified by a possible link between the banner and anarchist movements [2].
The union's denunciation
FLC Cgil Torino and the Provincial Chamber of Labour of Turin expressed «dismay and firm condemnation» over the removal, calling it a serious precedent because it concerned a message directly quoting the Constitution. The trade unions expressed solidarity with the teaching staff, the Ata (support) staff and the Rsu of Ic Pinerolo 3-4, and referred to Articles 3, 33 and 34 of the Constitution on the principles of integration, cohesion and substantive equality. The statement called for addressing the presence of students with a migrant background not through «numerical quotas», but through more school hours, smaller classes, stable staffing levels, Italian as a second language (L2) teaching, and cultural mediation [1][2].
The return of the banner
Once the misunderstanding about the banner's origin was cleared up, it was returned and put back on display in front of the school the same day. The unions took note «with satisfaction» of its release and thanked law enforcement for having reconsidered the matter, citing Article 21 of the Constitution on freedom of expression. The statement announced that the mobilisation would continue in schools across the area, inviting school communities to display new signs and banners in defence of public education and the Constitution [2].
Related articles: Cgil Torino, Flc Cgil, Pinerolo
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Sources
- ANSA Piemonte — 28 September 2026
- TorinoToday — 28 September 2026