SMASH REPRESSION

In April 2023, the streets of Bologna pulsed with sound, colour, and movement as up to 15,000 people gathered for the Street Rave Parade. More than just a celebration, it was a collective act of protest. Under the banner “Smash Repression”, participants challenged a decree seen by many as excessively punitive, defending the right to cultural and political self-managed spaces. The event became part of a wider confrontation between new forms of dissent and a state response marked by rigidity and control — a day where music and dance transformed into acts of resistance.